Amit Shah’s claims on Hindus in TN aimed at creating division, says CM Stalin
Amit Shah’s claims on Hindus in TN aimed at creating division, says CM Stalin
M.U.H
08/01/202633
MADURAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday said that Tamil Nadu Assembly Election 2026 will determine whether TN should be ruled by the DMK or someone from New Delhi, even as the CM condemned and refuted the claim of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the DMK government was consistently disrespecting Hinduism and the sentiments of Hindus in the state.
Addressing a public meeting in Dindigul, the CM said, “Union Minister Amit Shah, during his recent visit to Tamil Nadu, alleged that the state government is suppressing the religious rights and beliefs of Hindus. Is he truly Amit Shah or ‘Avadoor’ Shah? I strongly oppose such statements.”
Elaborating on it, Stalin said, “Over the last four years, TN has organised ‘kumbhabhishekam’ for 4,000 Hindu temples. Furthermore, the government has successfully reclaimed 7,655 acres of land and assets, valued at Rs 7,701 crore, which were encroached upon and belonged to 997 Hindu temples. True devotees and spiritual leaders appreciated the efforts of the Dravidian model of governance. I personally oversee initiatives related to the HR&CE department at the secretariat nearly twice a week to ensure their effective implementation. So, the union minister must avoid spreading misinformation about TN.”
The CM said there are indications that this rhetoric was aimed at creating division and serving propaganda for an audience beyond the state, especially in North India.
“Such divisive attempts have repeatedly failed in TN, and they will not succeed under my governance. We will not allow it to happen,” Stalin said, adding that Shah had asked the people, “Should there be PM Modi’s rule in TN or not?” The CM said the 2026 Assembly election is all about deciding “whether the state should be ruled by the DMK government or by someone from New Delhi. This election is a challenge posed to the self-respect of the Tamils.”
Stalin alleged that the union government is forcibly imposing NEET, refusing to release education funds meant for TN, thrusting the National Education Policy, weakening TN’s democratic strength in the name of constituency delimitation, and belittling Tamils in North Indian states.
“Despite these issues, opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami is striving only to bring a BJP government to power. If people vote for the AIADMK alliance, the BJP will rule TN. Shah himself has made that statement. One must note that after the death of former CM J Jayalalithaa, the BJP’s proxy rule was established in TN. People of TN will not trust Palaniswami who did nothing for the state. Despite election defeats in 2019, 2021, 2024, EPS refuses to understand this!” Stalin said that in 2019 Palaniswami (then CM) had stopped the free laptop scheme meant for students.
On the occasion, Stalin inaugurated 111 completed projects worth `338 crore. He also initiated and laid the foundation stone for 212 new projects worth `174 crore in the district.
The CM announced eight new schemes for Dindigul including a processing centre for drumstick at a cost of `7 crore, tourism centre in Kodaikanal spreading over 100 acres, and fixing minimum price for Flame Lily plants in Oddanchatram by coordinating with the union government.
