Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday tabled Part I of the report of the High-Level Committee on Union–State Relations in the state Assembly, reiterating the DMK government’s long-standing demand for enhanced state autonomy and a stronger federal structure.
The committee, chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Kurian Joseph, with former bureaucrats K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and M. Naganathan as members, submitted its report to the Chief Minister on Monday. Presenting it in the House, Stalin described the moment as a significant step in redefining Centre–State ties.
"Today is the day we take the initiative to amend the Constitution to ensure that state governments are vested with all necessary powers. If we cannot do it, who else can?" he asked, drawing loud desk-thumping from members of the DMK and its alliance partners.
The Chief Minister alleged that the Union government was centralising authority and exercising its powers in an "autocratic manner" without due regard for the states. "The Union keeps all powers with itself, and states are compelled to depend on it for everything.
How long can this continue?" he asked, adding that the committee’s report was aimed at offering a structured solution to this imbalance. In a sharp remark, Stalin said: "To put it simply, we have now belled the cat", signalling what he described as a bold initiative to address long-standing federal concerns.
He further contended that several subjects originally under the State List were being shifted to the Concurrent List by the BJP-led Union government, thereby eroding the constitutional rights of states. "The rights of states are being taken away one after another, and we are forced to fight even for the basic rights of our people," he said.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns over fiscal devolution, alleging that economically developed states were receiving reduced shares of central funds despite their significant contributions to national revenue. Calling for bipartisan support, Stalin urged political parties across the country to adopt states' autonomy as a guiding principle, ensuring that all languages, cultures, and communities could thrive with dignity and equal rights within a truly federal framework.