Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday refuted Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami’s (EPS) claims of excessive borrowing by the state government, asserting that loans acquired were being utilised for the benefit of the people. Stalin also criticised the AIADMK’s governance record, accusing the party of leaving the state in a financial deficit.
Addressing EPS’s accusations, Stalin said: “The Opposition leader is only speaking in such a manner because he cannot accept the DMK’s accomplishments. As we govern, I present you with statistics. The DMK made 505 poll promises, of which 383 have been fulfilled, while 116 are pending. Only a few schemes per department remain unfinished.”
EPS had earlier questioned the DMK government’s financial management, asking, “How are you going to pay the loans back when you are spending more on income than on investment? If you are going to borrow year after year, how do you plan to repay? The Finance Minister in the Assembly said the profit for 2024-2025 is Rs 1.10 lakh crore, of which Rs 17,000 crore could be excess, along with Rs 500 crore. After all expenses, Rs 60,000 crore should remain. Then why are you borrowing Rs 3.53 lakh crore? What new scheme have you implemented with this amount?”
Stalin countered the criticism, challenging the AIADMK to release statistics on its own performance during its decade-long rule. “The AIADMK has only made fake promises and destroyed Tamil Nadu. Is the AIADMK ready to publish data on how many of their schemes were implemented and how many people benefitted? They converted Tamil Nadu into a deficit state despite being in alliance with the Centre, focusing only on securing posts in Delhi,” Stalin remarked.
He further accused the AIADMK of leaving Tamil Nadu at the mercy of the Union government’s “lackadaisical attitude.”
“When we came to power, the Union government viewed us as ideological enemies instead of as a state government. Several schemes were curtailed, yet we overcame these challenges and developed Tamil Nadu. Now, the state is also bearing the burden of funding Union government schemes,” Stalin said.
Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, Stalin pointed out, had already detailed how the Union government’s policies had adversely affected Tamil Nadu. “The Opposition leader is turning a deaf ear to these explanations and claiming that the government is spending on useless schemes. He should understand the difference between useful and useless schemes. His calculations are entirely wrong,” Stalin added.
In a final swipe, Stalin mocked EPS for his repeated claims that the DMK government’s tenure would end in 2026. “He is tearing calendar sheets and counting ‘no moon’ days, but we will continue to work for the people, keeping their happiness in mind. The people are watching our work and giving us their approval. I assure you, the DMK will return to power in 2026,” Stalin declared confidently.