Manipur crisis has become BJP's Frankenstein's monster: MK Stalin

The image of Narendra Modi has now been busted. Thus, the BJP cannot secure victory solely by showcasing his countenance, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin said.

The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, spoke to Utkarsh Anand about the Opposition alliance, the recent no-confidence debate in Parliament, the charges against his minister Senthil Balaji, and India’s federal structure, among other issues. Edited excerpts of an interview:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at an event in Chennai. (PTI/FILE)

The Prime Minister replied to the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha and termed the Opposition alliance as opportunistic and arrogant. Many bills were passed in the session amid protests without much discussion. Other BJP ministers also termed the Opposition irresponsible. What is your take?

The opposition parties moved a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led Union government. Many accusations were made against the BJP government, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular, for three days. Prime Minister did not give answers for any of them. Instead, he was criticising the Congress party as if he was addressing a political rally.

He was making the same allegations that he made before the 2014 elections, even after nine years. If someone reads the full speech of Prime Minister Modi, they may think that the no-confidence was moved against Congress government and the speech was delivered by “Leader of Opposition” Narendra Modi.

The AIADMK unseated the BJP government by one vote in 1999. The Prime Minister campaigned against AIADMK in 2009 and 2014 Parliament elections. Could there be anything more opportunistic than having them beside him now?

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her speech during the discussion, attacked the DMK on the issue of women’s safety, referring to a 1989 incident where Jayalalithaa’s saree was reportedly pulled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. How do you respond?

Nirmala Sitaraman must have spoken by reading something from WhatsApp history. No such incident happened to Ms Jayalalithaa in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. Everyone present in the house then knows that it was a drama enacted by herself.

All those who were present at that time were well aware that the episode had been orchestrated. Former minister Thirunavukkarasu (currently serving as the Trichy MP) expounded within the assembly itself, stating that “Jayalalithaa had previously rehearsed the very actions at her residence in Poes Garden, and I was present during that period.” Consequently, Nirmala Sitharaman’s action of distorting the proceedings of the Tamil Nadu assembly in her parliamentary speech is both lamentable and misleading.

The ongoing confrontation between Tamil Nadu governor RN Ravi and your government intensified after he dismissed your minister Senthil Balaji. You even wrote a letter to the president favouring Ravi’s recall. While Ravi has put his decision in abeyance pending a legal opinion, what sort of role is he playing in state’s governance?

During his tenure as the chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi said that “Gujarat Raj Bhavan is a Congress House”. In the present day, the governor’s houses have been converted into BJP offices.

Governor RN Ravi, who says “I have no powers”, has indeed transgressed the boundaries of his role. Similarly, Governor Ravi, who contends “I have no work to do”, appears to be engaging in unnecessary activities.

Senthil Balaji allegedly indulged in corruption during AIADMK rule. But he was inducted in your cabinet. Why did you decide to induct him? And now that the Supreme Court has also affirmed the legality of his arrest and ED custody, why are you keeping him as a minister?

The BJP misuses investigative agencies to take revenge on its political opponents. This is not a mere allegation devoid of any merit. Instances of this tendency can be cited across various states of India. These agencies exclusively target the residences of BJP’s political rivals. Individuals subjected to such investigations who subsequently align themselves with the BJP find themselves absolved, thereby evading legal actions. These mechanisms effectively function as metaphorical ‘washing machines’.We do not view these arrests as ‘criminal investigations’ but as ‘political investigations’. Minister Senthil Balaji, too, has been afforded the privileges typically extended to individuals apprehended in political cases.

Why do you maintain that the Union government is tinkering with the federal structure and cooperative federalism? Can the Opposition unity be a check on this? What can be the chief considerations for the Opposition parties to come together?

The BJP is very firm that parties opposed to them and their ideology should not unite. The BJP stands to gain the most when we contest as more than one alliance. This is precisely why raids (by ED and CBI) are conducted. The objective of these raids is to intimidate and threaten.

Can the grouping of the Opposition parties to fight the 2024 polls with a PM face, considering that the BJP has had an advantage over the Opposition in previous elections because it projected Narendra Modi as PM?

The image of Narendra Modi has now been busted. Thus, the BJP cannot secure victory solely by showcasing his countenance. This is precisely why he posed with the leaders of 39 parties. Why is he not believing in his own image? The disparaging remarks towards the Congress, Rahul Gandhi, DMK, and various other opposition parties are a result of this.

What are your views on the Uniform Civil Code? The BJP’s ally in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK, has also opposed the idea. What can be untenable about having a common code to regulate civil matters when there is already a uniform criminal code across the country?

You are mistaken in conflating criminal law and the Uniform Civil Code. Criminal law pertains to crimes, and the penalties for committing them are uniform for all. There is no objection to this principle.

However, the Uniform Civil Code delves into customs and practices. In India, people adhere to diverse cultures and traditions. Consequently, a Common Civil Code cannot be universally applied. The Constitution of India grants specific privileges to various tribal communities, minorities and they are opposed to the notion of a Uniform Civil Code.

Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has voiced its opposition to this proposition. They contend that the customs of the Khasi community will be adversely affected. They are a specially privileged community under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Hence, the Uniform Civil Code would disrupt the public peace and harmony of India.

The Tamil Nadu government has been focusing on a lot on investments and building industrial hubs in different districts. You also visited a few countries recently. What do you think about the investment environment in the country in the wake of the present state of slowdown in the national economy?

Regarding Tamil Nadu, I would assert that no such recession is prevalent. If we were of such an impression, we would not have convened the Global Investors Meet in Chennai in January 2024. I undertook trips to Japan and Singapore to extend invitations to investors. During these visits, numerous investors expressed keen interest in investing in Tamil Nadu. The state of Tamil Nadu is perceived as a haven of peace equipped with robust infrastructure.

Just this week, we finalised an agreement for the establishment of a manufacturing facility by Godrej Consumer Products in Chengalpet. This venture is poised to materialise through an investment totaling 515 crore rupees.

Moreover, Mitsubishi Electric, on May 9, formalised an agreement to establish manufacturing plants for Air-conditioner and Compressor, with an investment of ₹1,891 crore.

Similarly, on May 11, Hyundai Motor Company inked a pact for investing 20,000 crore INR over the next ten years in Tamil Nadu. Notably, Omron has also started its project work within the premises of Mahindra Origins in Ponneri.

These are merely a glimpse of the array of companies that have been launched within the past three months. In light of these developments, it becomes evident that our state does not find itself within the sluggish economic scenario to which you allude.

In his address during the no-confidence motion discussion in Parliament, the PM expressed confidence that peace will return to Manipur soon and that the nation is with them. How do you assess his assurance and what is your idea of resolving the situation in the state?

The Manipur violence is a result of BJP’s divisive, hate politics. It was the communal politics of BJP that divided two communities and led them to take up arms. Now, the situation has gone out of control. The BJP government in Manipur knew that this would happen there. The Union government also knew. But they underestimated the magnitude of it. Violence is a double-edged sword. The Manipur crisis has become BJP’s Frankenstein’s monster.

For normalcy to return in Manipur, action has to be taken against the state government. The Union government has to prove that they are impartial. The Prime Minister should visit Manipur and meet the affected people. He has to visit the entire state. Peace will not return to Manipur just like that. After having added so much of fuel to the fire, you can’t extinguish it so easily.

Can the BJP can replace AIADMK as your principal opponent in state politics, given that the PM’s recent speeches have suggested Tamil Nadu is a focus area for the party?

This is a good joke! It is clear how much they have lied to him. The Prime Minister neither knows about Tamil Nadu, nor about Tamil Nadu BJP.