Chennai: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Ok. Selvaperunthagai has filed a proper grievance with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president, objecting to remarks made by get together colleague Praveen Chakravarty, evaluating Tamil Nadu’s funds unfavourably with Uttar Pradesh.

Talking to reporters in Chennai Friday, Selvaperunthagai mentioned such remarks have been utterly towards the Congress’ ideological place.

Selvaperunthagai mentioned he had taken the matter to the get together’s nationwide management.

“I’ve filed a grievance with the AICC president. We is not going to permit anyone to misuse the identify of our chief Rahul Gandhi—straight or not directly. Why ought to anyone misuse his identify in Tamil Nadu? We can not permit some people to run a celebration parallel to the TNCC,” he mentioned.

The controversy stems from an X publish by Praveen Chakravarty, during which he mentioned Tamil Nadu presently has the best excellent debt amongst all states, noting that whereas Uttar Pradesh had greater than double Tamil Nadu’s debt in 2010, Tamil Nadu has now overtaken UP.

He additionally identified that Tamil Nadu’s curiosity burden is the third highest after Punjab and Haryana, and that the debt-to-GSDP ratio stays properly above pre-Covid ranges.

Reacting to it, Selvaperunthagai mentioned Chakravarty’s feedback amounted to endorsing BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh whereas undermining Tamil Nadu.

“We allowed his sure actions earlier as a result of they have been small issues and largely for publicity. However at this time, upholding Uttar Pradesh’s governance above Tamil Nadu can’t be accepted. No Congressman in Tamil Nadu will settle for this,” he mentioned.

“These intellectuals ought to reply what sort of governance is occurring in Uttar Pradesh. Folks can not even query their very own authorities there. If anybody questions, they’re encountered, jailed, or a JCB will arrive at their home. No matter Praveen Chakravarty says shouldn’t be the voice of the Congress get together,” he mentioned, accusing him of trying to create confusion inside the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu.

The difficulty additionally drew a pointy response from the ruling DMK. Occasion spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai questioned Chakravarty’s silence on the Union authorities’s funds.

“Has this skilled supplied such insightful opinions to the Union BJP authorities, which has borrowed roughly Rs 200 lakh crore? Has he mentioned that India’s state of affairs is a trigger for concern? Are RSS stooges current solely within the BJP?” Annadurai requested in a publish on X.

The episode has uncovered recent strains inside the ruling alliance in Tamil Nadu, with the TNCC making it clear that any narrative seen as legitimising BJP-ruled states on the expense of Tamil Nadu will likely be firmly opposed.

‘Pushed by private ambitions’

A number of Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu additionally alleged that Praveen Chakravarty’s latest political interventions are pushed by private ambition quite than get together curiosity.

In keeping with get together sources, Chakravarty is alleged to be pushing for a Congress–TVK alliance.

Chakravarty, who joined the Congress in 2017, has confronted resistance from state leaders who accuse him of trying to destabilise the INDIA alliance in Tamil Nadu. A number of senior leaders, each within the TNCC and the AICC, are mentioned to have distanced themselves from him after elevating issues about his political judgement.

Occasion insiders additionally level to his previous function within the now-defunct ‘Shakti Mission’, terminated by the Congress management, as proof that his methods have beforehand yielded poor electoral outcomes

However, DMK appears to be like on the latest assault by Praveen not as political however ideological.

A senior DMK chief advised ThePrint that Praveen Chakravarthy’s latest deal with Tamil Nadu’s debt was a “deliberate political narrative” aimed toward undermining the DMK authorities’s money help schemes for girls and Pongal aid.

“Earlier, he brazenly attacked monetary help for girls. When that argument did not resonate—particularly since Congress-ruled Telangana and Karnataka additionally run related schemes—he shifted the goalposts. Now, the so-called debt burden of states has grow to be the brand new software.” the chief mentioned.

Drawing parallels with the BJP’s previous strategy, the DMK chief recalled that in 2022, the RSS-BJP ecosystem opposed related schemes, even warning the Supreme Courtroom that India would “find yourself like Sri Lanka”.

“The identical BJP later adopted cash-for-women schemes. Our message is obvious, we’ll by no means ever cease the month-to-month monetary help for girls below the DMK authorities,” the chief added.

(Edited by Viny Mishra)

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