T.N. Assembly: DMK govt. granted permission for one lakh protests, says CM Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday (January 11, 2025) rejected the complaint that permissions were being denied to organise protests and rallies in the State, saying the Opposition parties and alliance partners could hold demonstrations and protests in places earmarked for the same after obtaining requisite permissions.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday (January 11, 2025) rejected the complaint that permissions were being denied to organise protests and rallies in the State, saying the Opposition parties and alliance partners could hold demonstrations and protests in places earmarked for the same after obtaining requisite permissions.

“The DMK government has, so far, granted permission to conduct one lakh protests,” he said.

He further quoted a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report that Tamil Nadu had come first in the country with a total of 842,720 man-days of employment in 2023-24.

The Chief Minister said Tamil Nadu was the safest State in the country and that he was not angry that the AIADMK members present in the House were wearing black in protest. “I am happy that at least now they are wearing black shirts. Why were they not wearing black shirts to express their opposition to a Governor who was not ready to respect the Assembly? I will be happy if you wear black shirts against the Centre, which seeks to destroy higher education through the rules of the UGC,” he said, while replying to the Governor’s address to the Assembly

Mr. Stalin alleged that the State government had been forced to meet the expenditure of salaries and training to teachers, maintenance of schools, and implementation of the Right to Education Act as the Centre had failed to release ₹2,152 under the education head. “This funding is important. Though we have reminded the Centre many times, it has not released the grant. Schemes under the National Higher Education are also facing uncertainty since the Centre is imposing the National Higher Education Policy,” he said.

Reacting to Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s allegation that the State government’s debt had increased substantially and it had indulged in “useless expenditures,” Mr. Stalin said Tamil Nadu’s borrowings were within stipulated norms. “I would like to know whether the Opposition leader considers spending for various welfare schemes as useless,” he said.