Key Points

Speaking at the DMK's General Council meeting held in Madurai, Stalin launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of "trying to financially strangle" Tamil Nadu by "withholding the rightful share of funds" due to the state.

"In the historically significant land of Madurai a land that exemplifies the ancient culture of the Tamil people we have convened this General Council meeting to make decisions essential for the future of Tamil Nadu, to devise strategies to confront and defeat the forces that surround and threaten the state, and to work tirelessly toward victory," CM Stalin said.

Drawing parallels between the gathering and a battle cry, he added, "The moment I hear the call to battle, and when I see all of you gathered here, like tigers charging into the field with the speed to seize victory, I feel a surge of new energy."

He claimed that there is a growing "wave of support" for the DMK government, alleging that some are trying to "suppress" it. "Whether in power or opposition, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) always faces the most criticism. However, more than a wave of opposition, it is a wave of support that is rising for the DMK government. Some are attempting to divert attention and suppress this support from coming to light," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the DMK government has been "consistently fighting" against the Union government for their rights.

"The people know the circumstances under which we assumed office. We have rescued Tamil Nadu from the depths it had fallen into due to the previous AIADMK-BJP alliance government. Despite the numerous actions taken by the Union BJP government against our rights, we have been consistently fighting against them to this day. Even when they try to financially strangle Tamil Nadu by withholding the rightful funds due to us, we have overcome all those challenges and continued implementing welfare schemes for the people," he said.

Referring to the ongoing tussle between the State government and the Governor, Stalin said Tamil Nadu has achieved top ranks in development despite hurdles. "Be it economic roadblocks, political hurdles, obstructions through the Governor, or attempts to snatch away our rights -- no matter how many obstacles the Union BJP government places before us, we have overcome them all and elevated Tamil Nadu to be the number one state in development across India today," he claimed.

With an eye on the 2026 Assembly elections, Stalin urged party leaders to stay alert to "slanderous attacks" from the opposition. "There are only a few months left until the 2026 Assembly elections. Hence, more than usual, the opposition will launch slanderous attacks against the DMK and its government. They will try to plant lies in the minds of the people under the guise of opinion polls. They will also spread these lies through social media. We must be prepared to counter all of this," he said.

Earlier in the day, the DMK passed 27 key resolutions at the General Council meeting held on a sprawling 90-acre site in Madurai's Uthangudi. One of the prominent resolutions condemned the Union Government for denying Tamil Nadu its rightful financial allocations.

Over 10,000 party leaders, including Chief Minister MK Stalin and ministers, MPs, MLAs, and senior functionaries, participated in the gathering. This is the first time an event has been held in Madurai in 47 years, solidifying the party's influence in the southern region.

Other major resolutions included a call to ensure the party's victory in the 2026 Assembly elections and to re-elect MK Stalin as Chief Minister, a declaration to observe June 3rd -- the birth anniversary of former CM M Karunanidhi -- as "Classical Tamil Day," and an expression of gratitude to Stalin for his efforts to uplift women in the State. Another resolution emphasised the need to publicise the DMK government's achievements among the people.

- ANI