'Who else will do it?': TN CM MK Stalin says after tabling report on Union-State relations, pushes for state autonomy in assembly

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday tabled the report of the High-Level Committee on Union–State Relations in the state assembly and stressed the need for state autonomy and the decentralisation of powers that, he said, have been accumulated by the Union government over the years. Calling the move “belling the cat”, he remarked, “If we cannot do it, then who can?”

“What I want to convey to state governments across the country and to the Union government is that autonomy for states and a coalition government at the Centre are essential. This is not the demand of a political party but a crucial policy for people’s lives and their development. Coalition is fundamental to India, which stands for pluralism. That is what this report reflects,” Stalin said, amid loud applause from the treasury benches.





He said efforts must begin to build a mature federal union, where powers and opportunities are not concentrated in one place but decentralised.

The report outlines legal measures to achieve this and argues that making India and its Constitution more federal will not weaken the Union.

The report states that federal strengthening is the only viable path for Tamil Nadu, which has faced challenges from the Union government in areas such as the functioning of the governor, fund allocation, and delimitation. “We can achieve our goal only by amending the Constitution,” he said.