Sharing the stage after 10 months, at a government event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Tuesday ensured that they made their political points without letting the tension between the state and Centre take over. Modi was in Trichy to lay the foundation for projects worth Rs 20,000 crore and to attend the 38th convocation ceremony of Bharathidasan University. Stalin thanked the PM for the projects, while pointedly addressing the Modi government as 'Ondriya Arasu' – or Union government – the term it prefers compared to Central government, to emphasise its federal nature. In his speech, the PM listed the contribution of his government towards Tamil Nadu's welfare, adding: “India will progress with the progress of Tamil Nadu.” Modi was last in Tamil Nadu in April 2023, when he flagged off a Vande Bharat. One of the two events in Trichy, organised by the Central government's Airports Authority of India, had voluble BJP supporters – reportedly bussed in from Trichy and nearby delta districts – who responded with chants of “Modi, Modi, Modi” when Stalin made his 'Ondriya Arasu' comment and, in stretches, drowned out the CM's voice. Speaking before Modi, the CM requested that the Madurai airport be made an international airport, that direct flight services be started between Chennai-Penang and Chennai-Tokyo on priority basis (both Malaysia and Tokyo have a large Tamil diaspora), that the Centre boost its contribution to the Chennai Metro Rail project, and that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects in Tamil Nadu be expedited. Stalin also complained that orders from public sector giant BHEL, run by the Centre, to MSMEs in the state have significantly reduced, affecting micro industries operating in the Trichy area. Seeking more relief to the state for the damage caused by recent floods, the CM said that they should be declared a “national disaster”. “Please don't think we keep making demands! In India, it is the primary duty of state governments to be close to millions of people and provide education, healthcare, essential needs, and assistance. Making requests for the state and asserting state rights are the demands of the people living there, not political slogans.” In his speech, Modi expressed condolences over the recent demise of filmstar-turned-politician Captain Vijayakanth and agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan. Also regretting the loss of lives in the floods, Modi promised the Centre's support to the state in tackling such challenges. Going on to emphasise Tamil Nadu's role in India’s growth, its vibrant culture and heritage, and its contribution to scientific and technological advancements, Modi proceeded to talk about the effort and time dedicated by his government to the state. More than 40 Union ministers had toured Tamil Nadu more than 400 times in the past year, while his government had given record funds to states, Modi said. While in the decade before 2014, states were given Rs 30 lakh crore, in the last 10 years, they had got Rs 120 lakh crore from the Centre, he said. “Tamil Nadu got 2.5 times more money in this period as compared to the 10 years preceding 2014.” Directly addressing what Stalin had said, Modi said his government had spent three times more in the state in the highways sector, and 2.5 times more in the railways sector. “I can witness the rise of a new hope in the youth of Tamil Nadu.”
