“They Thank Me In Private, Criticize In Public”: Nirmala Sitharaman Calls Out DMK’s Duplicity On Centre’s Release Of Funds

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has strongly criticised the DMK government for claiming that the Central government’s move to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census is a “hard-earned victory” for the party. She accused the DMK of exploiting the move for political gain while engaging in double-speak—criticising the central government publicly but privately expressing gratitude.

Speaking to reporters on 2 May 2025, Sitharaman confirmed that the Union Cabinet had approved the caste census and emphasized that the data collected would help the government formulate better-targeted welfare policies for the poor and marginalized communities.

She cited a disturbing incident from Tamil Nadu to question the DMK’s claims of social justice leadership. Referring to the 2022 case in Vengaivayal village, Pudukkottai district, where human waste was reportedly found in a Scheduled Caste community’s drinking water tank, Sitharaman asked how such a grave incident could occur in a state that claims to be socially progressive.

“They often say states in North India are backward. But even in those states, we haven’t seen such incidents. DMK should stop claiming credit for the Centre’s decision to include caste enumeration,” she said.

Her comments came in response to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s recent statement calling the caste census a “hard-earned victory” for the Tamil Nadu government.

Continuing her criticism, Sitharaman noted that many shops across Tamil Nadu still openly display caste-based identifiers on their signboards. Instead of politicizing the caste census, she urged for a constructive dialogue on how best to support the economically and socially disadvantaged.

Addressing accusations that the Centre is favouring corporates, Sitharaman dismissed the claims as baseless. She pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Vizhinjam Port project, which was originally awarded to the Adani Group by the previous Congress-led Kerala government under the late Oommen Chandy. “Just because a company invests in a state doesn’t mean the government is showing favoritism. This logic doesn’t hold up,” she said.

On allegations that the central government is withholding funds from Tamil Nadu, the Finance Minister responded firmly. She reiterated that she has consistently presented data on fund allocation to the state during her visits.

Nirmala Sitharaman then called out the DMK’s double standards regarding central funding. Referring to the recent disbursal of MGNREGA funds, she said, “I have been talking about this every time, how much we are giving and not giving, and how much we are providing to all the states. I have received private messages from some members of the ruling party here, whom I prefer not to name, expressing their gratitude for the employment scheme, specifically the rural employment scheme MNREGA. We have allocated funds for that, and they have thanked me privately saying the money has arrived. They thank me in private and this (criticism) in the public. If you understand this, then that is sufficient.”

Turning to the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Sitharaman clarified that the tax regime was not a unilateral decision by the Centre. Instead, it replaced 17 taxes and 8 cesses that existed before 2014 and was established with the consensus of the GST Council, which includes representatives from all state governments.

“No single person can decide GST rates. Every decision is made collectively by the council, which represents all states. Today, consumers can see clearly how much CGST and SGST they are paying, ensuring transparency,” she added.