Stalin steps up attack on Centre, announces high level panel on state autonomy

Chennai | Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday announced the constitution of a panel on state autonomy that will be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, as he made a strong pitch for empowering states, alleging that their rights were gradually being snatched by the central government.

The establishment of the high-level panel, marking half-a-century of DMK government's 'historic' state autonomy resolution moved in the Tamil Nadu Assembly by then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, was aimed at re-asserting the principles of state autonomy in today’s context, he said while making a statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

The move was meant to protect the 'legitimate rights' of states and to improve relations between the Union and the state governments, he claimed in the Assembly.

He utilised the occasion to flay the present AIADMK leadership, after the party MLAs staged a walkout over a different issue.

Despite their differences with the DMK, AIADMK stalwarts and late Chief Ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa never compromised on state rights. "But now they (AIADMK) say that principles and alliance are different...the question is what is their stand," Stalin asked, apparently referring to the opposition party stitching up an alliance with the BJP recently.

He stressed that there was a need to strengthen cooperative federalism, laws, and policies related to Centre-state ties by reviewing the provisions of the Constitution when the states' rights were under siege.

He said B R Ambedkar unequivocally stated that "both the Union and the States are created by the Constitution...the one is not subordinate to the other in its own field and the authority of one is co-ordinate with that of the other.”

"Yet, the steady encroachment of the Union into the rightful domains of the States has disrupted the delicate constitutional balance...a strong Union is not built by weakening States. It is built by empowering them," Stalin emphasised.

Opposition AIADMK slammed the CM over the announcement, asking what was his DMK that shared power with the Congress-led UPA earlier, did all these years. The move was aimed at "diverting" public attention, the principal opposition party charged.

Stepping up the attack on the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, Stalin said the high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph will examine in detail the relationship between the Union and state governments to ensure state autonomy. It will submit its interim report in January 2026. The final report with recommendations will be submitted in two years.

The panel will have former bureaucrat, Ashok Vardhan Shetty and former vice-chairman of the State Planning Commission M Naganathan as its members.

"The committee will study, as per the law, to transfer those subjects that went from the State List to the Concurrent List," the Chief Minister said and pointed out that the National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) was out of the purview of states.

The state has been demanding exemption from the NEET ambit. A number of medical aspirants have died by suicide over the years, either over unable to clear the entrance test or over apprehensions of cracking it.

"We are not stressing for devolution of power and funds merely considering Tamil Nadu's welfare but are keeping in mind the interests of the people of the vast expanse of the country stretching from Gujarat to the northeastern parts; from Kashmir to Kerala," Stalin said.

"Tamil Nadu's will be the first voice vis-a-vis discussions on state autonomy," he added.

The motive behind setting up the said panel is to protect the rights of all Indian states that work on the basis of "unity in diversity," Stalin added.

"While Tamils world over showed their opposition when cultural identities like Eruthazhvudal (similar to jallikattu) were attempted to be destroyed, our request is that the cultural ethos of the northeastern states like Manipur and Nagaland should also be given due respect," he said.

"It is a fact that while we take all steps to protect our Mother Tamil, we are equally concerned about languages in other parts of India losing their nature," the CM said.

The four BJP legislators in the Assembly protested any such move that encouraged state autonomy and walked out. The Opposition AIADMK, which also staged a walkout from the Assembly sought to know what the DMK, which shared power with the Congress-led UPA, had done all these years on the matter.

"This is merely to divert the people's attention. Half a century ago, Stalin's father Karunanidhi made a similar plea. But the DMK has done precious little on state autonomy. This is a mere diversionary tactic of the DMK ahead of the 2026 Assembly election," AIADMK deputy leader of the Opposition R B Udayakumar told reporters outside the Assembly.

Law Minister S Regupathy slammed the AIADMK for 'intentionally' walking out of the House in a bid to prevent the chief minister from making a speech.

Speaking to reporters, Regupathy said the state government wanted education to be brought under the state list.

On the BJP criticism that the announcement was made with an eye on the 2026 Assembly polls, the Minister replied the DMK would come to power again under Stalin's leadership in the elections.

On NEET exemption, he said "there is no need for us to deceive anyone. We are clear that we can get the Court's nod because the TN Assembly has already passed resolutions. We are confident that we can get exemption from NEET for the state through legal battle."