A review of flagship schemes of the Centre in Tamil Nadu, undertaken by Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu along with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami at the State Secretariat here on Sunday, triggered a debate on whether the BJP government at the Centre was seeking to assert itself as a ‘big brother’ in the absence of a strong regional leader.
Though it is not uncommon for Union Ministers to call on Chief Ministers, there has not been an instance when a Union Minister reviewed government schemes inside the Secretariat during the AIADMK regime so long as former CM Jayalalithaa was around.
Also, for many years, there has not been an instance where the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister held a joint press conference with a Union Minister.
On Sunday, while Mr. Naidu spoke for about 45 minutes, Mr. Palaniswami read out from a prepared text for about five minutes and questions from journalists were not entertained.
‘Not playing politics’
Before concluding his extempore address, Mr. Naidu clarified, “I have not come here for any politics. I have come for a departmental review.”
Commenting on the development, former IAS officer M.G. Devasahayam said, “There was no need for a Union Minister to jointly review government projects with the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister’s post is high in stature in the States and at the most, such review can happen in a common place and not in the Secretariat. This is only [an instance of] a Union Minister trying to dominate a Chief Minister, against the federal structure of our country.” He pointed out that the Housing and Urban Development was in the concurrent list and the role of the Centre in these ministries is restricted to financing and supporting the implementing agencies. It was unfortunate that Tamil Nadu had conceded to the joint review, he said.
Wondering if the BJP would allow a State Minister to sit in the Housing Ministry head office and question why funds were not released for a scheme, political commentator Gnani Sankaran said, “It is only because of the submissiveness of the State that the Centre is overstepping lines.”
