New Delhi [India], March 12 : Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi sharply criticized Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent remarks, accusing her and other ministers of continuously insulting the Tamil people and undermining the Tamil Nadu government's efforts. In her statement, Kanimozhi expressed her disbelief, saying, "What Hypocrisy? I really don't understand."
Kanimozhi took strong issue with Sitharaman's suggestion that Tamil Nadu's schemes were an act of charity. "Yesterday, the Finance Minister in her speech made it look like that all the schemes given in Tamil Nadu is an act of charity," Kanimozhi stated. She stressed that the funds allocated to the state had not been adequately provided, contrary to what was being suggested. "The truth is that whatever funds were to be allocated to us, haven't been allocated as yet," she said.
The DMK leader highlighted that the funds received from the Union Government were, in fact, a return on Tamil Nadu's own contributions through taxes. "And moreover whatever is being allocated according to her, I think any Union Government has to do it for the states. And moreover it is from the funds the taxes which the Tamil Nadu government pays," Kanimozhi clarified.
She further pointed out the stark contrast in the financial treatment of Tamil Nadu compared to other states, noting that while Tamil Nadu contributes significantly to the national tax pool, it receives only a fraction in return.
"If we pay one rupee you are giving us back 29 paisa, but in other states you are giving back double even triple amount," Kanimozhi explained.
Earlier on Tuesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had lashed out at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) over its opposition to the three-language policy, accusing the Stalin government of creating a "political mess" in Tamil Nadu and denying children their "right to learn."
Speaking in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said, "New Education Policy actually says learn in your mother tongue till class 5th, if possible till 8th even better till intermediate that's what NEP says but they (DMK) want to imagine it is imposing Hindi. Wrongly they have created political mess in Tamil Nadu denying children their right to learn."