Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin criticizes the BJP-led central government for denying metro rail projects in Madurai and Coimbatore, calling it biased and unfair to opposition-ruled states.
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin criticizes the BJP-led central government for denying metro rail projects in Madurai and Coimbatore, calling it biased and unfair to opposition-ruled states. (Image Credit: The Wire Science)
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin on Tuesday took a pot shot at the BJP-led central government for denying metro rail project in Madurai and Coimbatore saying that a government exists to serve but the BJP treats the southern state democratic choice as a reason to take revenge.
He also said that pushing such a political custom, in which BJP ruled states get Metros for smaller Tier II cities while opposition ruled States are deprived, is a disgraceful approach.
In a post on X, Stalin said, "The Union BJP government has denied Metro Rail for ‘Temple City’ Madurai and for ‘South India’s Manchester’, Coimbatore, on flimsy grounds."
Slamming the BJP-led Union Government, the DMK leader said, "A government exists to serve people without bias. Yet the Union BJP treats Tamil Nadu’s democratic choice as a reason to take revenge.
"Pushing such a political custom, in which BJP ruled states get Metros for smaller Tier II cities while opposition ruled States are deprived, is a disgraceful approach. Tamil Nadu, the land of Self Respect, will never accept such a distortion of federal principles," he said.
Hitting out at the BJP, Stalin said, "They attempted to stall the Chennai Metro, and we overcame those malicious attempts and kept the project progressing.
"With the same determination, we will secure the Metro Rail that Madurai and Coimbatore need for their future growth," he added.
The remarks came after the Union government rejected Tamil Nadu’s proposals for Metro rail projects in Madurai and Coimbatore, with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) citing population norms under the Metro Rail Policy 2017.
According to the 2011 census, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs states that the population of Coimbatore is 15.84 lakh and that of Madurai is 15 lakh.
Meanwhile, the Metro Rail Policy of 2017 specifies that a city must have a population of at least 2 million to be eligible for a Metro Rail project.
