Chennai, May 23 (UNI) After boycotting the last meeting citing neglect of

the State by the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister left or New Delhi on

Friday to take part in the Niti Aayog meeting tomorrow and to secure.

due financial rights from the Union government.

Mr Stalin was seen off at the airport by his Cabinet colleagues and

senior DMK leaders.

During his visit, Mr Stalin was expected to submit a memorandum to

Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking pending dues from the Centre

and other issues concerning the State.

He was also expected to meet top political leaders, including Congress

leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

He would return to the city tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, Mr Stalin slammed Opposition AIADMK leader Edappadi

K Palaniswami for attributing motives to his Delhi visit.

Mr Stalin said he was going to Delhi to secure the state's financial rights.

and secure the due funds to Tamil Nadu.

Stating that he stood firm in his principles, Mr Stalin asserted that he would

fight and secure the due funds for the state from the Centre.

He said the State government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court

to secure the state's rights and against the Centre's refusal to release

Rs 2,152 crore due funds to TN under the SSA scheme for the school

education sector as the state rejected the NEP-2020, which envisaged

implementation of the three-language formula and imposition of Hindi,

as against the long followed two-language policy in the State.

Taking a dig at Mr Palaniswami for attributing motives to his Delhi visit,

Mr Stalin said he would remain ideologically firm and fight for the rights

of the state.

Seeking to know why his visit to Delhi pains Mr Palaniswami, who is also

the AIADMK General Secretary and the Leader of the Opposition in the

State Assembly, the Chief Minister said "from Sasikala to Amit Shah, the

person may change, but his (Palaniswami) habit of crawling and prostrating

under the table has never changed."

"Even before the saliva on the tongue that declared that there was no alliance

with the BJP, could dry, Mr Palaniswami, who after a single raid rushed to wave

the white flag, has no shame in accusing me of surrendering", Mr Stalin, said,

strongly reacting to his criticisms.

"This hand of Stalin is one that holds the red-black flag of the DMK. The hand

lifted by Perarignar (DMK Stalwart and late CM C N Annadurai). The hand that

walked holding Kalaignar’s (DMK Leader and late CM Karunanidhi’s) hand. I

will always hold the flag for rights. I will never crawl,” he said.

"Even today, I have filed a case in the Supreme Court for the rights of Tamil Nadu,”

Stalin said and asserted that “I will stand firm in my principles. I will fight and secure

Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of funds".

Mr Palaniswami has criticised Mr Stalin’s decision to attend the NITI Aayog meeting

in Delhi and alleged that it was intended for personal gains rather than for the larger

welfare of Tamil Nadu.

He questioned the sudden change in his stance and recalled that Mr Stalin had earlier

boycotted the NITI Aayog meetings in protest against the Union Government’s alleged

neglect of Tamil Nadu.

Hinting at the recent Enforcement Directorate raids which had unearthed Rs 1,000 crore

irregularities in the state-owned TASMAC, the Opposition leader questioned the timing

of the CM’s visit to the National Capital.

UNI GV 1445