Chennai, March 23 (NationPress) DMK Deputy General Secretary and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Sunday vehemently condemned Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her recent remarks regarding Tamil Nadu’s plea for a fair allocation of central funds, labeling them as "sarcastic" and "dismissive".

Kanimozhi asserted that Sitharaman’s statements undermined the valid issues raised by the state.

"For years, we have been battling against your derision of Tamil Nadu and its inhabitants. You ought to pause and consider the consequences faced by those who have mocked Tamils. Do you genuinely think our struggle for Tamil and our rights is a matter for ridicule?" she expressed on X.

The DMK MP cautioned that the residents of Tamil Nadu would react strongly, implying that the results of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections—where the BJP-led NDA failed to secure any seats in the state—would be mirrored in future assembly elections. The DMK-led INDIA bloc had won all 39 constituencies in Tamil Nadu during the general elections.

FM Sitharaman, in her remarks on Saturday, claimed that allegations regarding the Centre withholding Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of tax revenues and funds proportionate to its economic contributions were misleading. She accused the Tamil Nadu government of employing diversionary tactics while disregarding the considerable support provided by the Union government through numerous schemes. She highlighted various ongoing and forthcoming Union government initiatives in the state, stating that instead of recognizing these efforts, the Tamil Nadu government was fixating on unrelated matters like the three-language policy and the proposed delimitation exercise.

The Finance Minister also pointed to the state’s involvement in Union schemes such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) program as a sign of central support.

Kanimozhi’s remarks are part of a broader opposition initiative by the DMK against the Central government’s policies, particularly concerning fiscal federalism and the impending delimitation exercise.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin convened a high-level meeting on Saturday with leaders from various states and parties to deliberate on the potential impacts of the upcoming parliamentary constituency delimitation.

The meeting, aimed at establishing a Joint Action Council (JAC), included numerous national and regional leaders, such as Chief Ministers Pinarayi Vijayan from Kerala, Revanth Reddy from Telangana, and Bhagwant Mann from Punjab, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin of Tamil Nadu and D.K. Shivakumar of Karnataka.

Participants also included BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, Biju Janata Dal leaders Das Burma and Amar Patnaik, Congress' Kerala President K. Sudhakaran, Kerala Congress-Mani leader Jose K. Mani, Kerala Congress leader Francis George, CPI's Kerala Secretary Binoy Viswam, IUML leader Salahuddin, Akali Dal's Balwinder Singh, RSP's N.K. Premachandran, and AIMIM's Imtiaz Jaleel.

All speakers present at the meeting expressed concerns regarding the potential injustices of the delimitation process. They urged the Centre to adopt a consultative, consensus-driven approach that does not penalize states for their development and population control efforts. The gathering marked a pivotal step towards forging opposition unity against central policies perceived as undermining the rights and progress of southern and other progressive states.