Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay Skips Congress Meet in Delhi
Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay concluded his visit to New Delhi without meeting Congress leaders and instead focused on official engagements with PM Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister. Core issues include Mekedatu dam, fishermen arrests, and Tamil invocation song controversy.
Highlights
- •Vijay met Prime Minister Modi and discussed critical state matters including the Mekedatu dam issue and fisherman arrests.
- •He sought funding for key infrastructure projects such as ports, national highways, railway lines, and industrial corridors.
- •Concerns over Karnataka's Mekedatu balancing reservoir project disregarding final Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.
- •Raising the demand to establish Institutes of National Importance (INI) in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, returned to Chennai on Thursday after completing his maiden official visit to New Delhi. He bypassed a scheduled meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi citing an exclusive focus on official programs.
Christopher Tilak, a Congress MP and spokesperson, clarified that the meeting had merely been deferred until June 11 for the Niti Aayog conference where Vijay is expected to meet both Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Key Issues Raising Concerns
During his visit, Chief Minister Vijay met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They discussed crucial matters involving the Mekedatu dam project, fisherman arrests, and the Tamil invocation song controversy. Vijay also visited Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to emphasize the necessity of funding for critical infrastructure projects like ports, national highways, railway lines, and industrial corridors.
The CM emphasized his concerns over Karnataka's announcement regarding the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery River. He stressed that this move disregards the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and contradicts the Supreme Court's verdict. He sought support for establishing Institutes of National Importance (INI) in Tamil Nadu to enhance educational infrastructure, particularly in metro rail projects crucial to the state's economic development.
Further, Vijay raised concerns about his government's demands regarding the Metro Rail project and fisherman arrests. Speaking from Villupuram, M Veerapandian, the CPI State Secretary, underscored the need for Prime Minister Modi's cooperation in fulfilling these justified demands.
