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This is an archive article published on March 8, 2023

Amid migrant attack rumours in TN, DMK’s Baalu visits Nitish with message from Stalin: all’s well

Senior DMK leader T R Baalu says attempt to cause discord between the peoples of the two states a conspiracy, invites Nitish to Karunanidhi's birth centenary in June

DMK leader T R BaaluDMK leader T R Baalu
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Amid migrant attack rumours in TN, DMK’s Baalu visits Nitish with message from Stalin: all’s well
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Days after a team from Bihar visited Tamil Nadu amid rumours of migrants from the state coming under attack, senior DMK leader T R Baalu visited Patna on Tuesday, carrying a message of reassurance from his party chief M K Stalin.

Talking to The Indian Express, T R Baalu said he visited Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to personally brief him about the migrant issue and the steps taken by the Tamil Nadu government for the welfare and protection of migrant workers. “We had already given him a status report, I went in person to brief him about it,” Baalu said.

While Nitish Kumar did not comment on his meeting with the senior DMK leader, senior JD(U) leader and Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary told reporters in Patna on Tuesday that Baalu had come to invite Nitish Kumar to Chennai for the 100th birth anniversary function of former Tamil Nadu CM and DMK patriarch, the late M Karunanidhi, in June.

He was, however, also carrying a message of reassurance all the way from Tamil Nadu, where at least two videos, now confirmed as fake/misleading by police, were shared on social media by alleged miscreants, showing migrant labourers being attacked in the southern state.

Choudhary also said the “discussion on migrants came up naturally”.

“Baalu said there had been no assault on Bihar migrants in Tamil Nadu. He called recent happenings part of a deep conspiracy to cause rift between people of Bihar and Tamil Nadu,” the minister said.

JD(U) sources said Karunanidhi’s birth anniversary celebrations in Chennai in June could provide a platform for non-BJP parties to come together and possibly even launch Nitish Kumar’s formal bid for national Opposition unity.

“As the DMK has invited all top leaders from non-BJP parties, it would be a grand occasion to pitch for national Opposition unity. Nitish Kumar has already said he would embark on the move for national Opposition unity after April, once the ongoing Budget session has concluded,” said a senior JD(U) leader, adding that Nitish Kumar’s presence at the function might also “reassure Bihar migrants” to stay back and continue to work in TN.

Sources in the CM House, however, said though Nitish Kumar’s June schedule is yet to be finalised, the CM is likely to attend the function.

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When asked about Stalin extending an invitation to CM Kumar for the centenary celebrations in June, Baalu said, “There are many months left to plan that. I mentioned it in the meeting, but it all depends on the convenience of different leaders. An exact plan is yet to be made.”

A four-member Bihar team had recently returned from Tamil Nadu after meeting senior officials and interacting with migrants from the state. A status report has already been handed over to the Bihar government.

 

Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. Expertise He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.   ... Read More

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

 

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