Overview

• At a national seminar in Chennai on Saturday, M. K. Stalin unveiled the High-Level Committee’s website and an online questionnaire to crowdsource views on Union–state ties.
• Stalin accused the Union government of acting with narrow political motives in fiscal devolution and of curtailing the independence of Finance Commissions.
• He called on all states to set up similar committees and said Tamil Nadu will push for constitutional amendments to entrench state autonomy and cooperative federalism.
• Invoking earlier reviews of federal relations, he said key Punchhi Commission advice on consulting chief ministers in governor appointments was never implemented, citing Tamil Nadu’s governor as an example.
• Reiterating opposition to Hindi imposition, he noted parallel resistance in Karnataka, West Bengal and Maharashtra, while highlighting Tamil Nadu’s 11.19% growth in 2024–25 despite fiscal strains.