Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, currently on an official tour of Europe, took a sharp swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning the Centre's logic of procuring discounted Russian crude oil for Gujarat refineries while exporters in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur - the country's hosiery hub - are left reeling under steep US tariffs.
His remarks came hours after thousands of workers and exporters staged a massive protest in Tiruppur against the 50 per cent tariff imposed by the United States under President Donald Trump on Indian goods. The move, aimed at penalising countries that continue to buy Russian oil, has already inflicted losses of nearly Rs 3,000 crore on Tiruppur's textile industry, which employs lakhs of workers.
Posting in Tamil on X on Thursday, Mr Stalin described the agitation as a "massive success" and posed a pointed question to Modi: "For the sake of discounted crude for Gujarat's refineries, how can you allow our exporters, who create thousands of jobs, to suffer? Announce relief immediately, negotiate with the US, and prove worthy of your VishwaGuru title."
He also reminded that he had earlier written to the Prime Minister urging relief measures, including moratoriums and concessions similar to those extended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The BJP hit back sharply. Party spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy dismissed Stalin's comments as "immature and unfortunate," adding, "It's surprising that a Chief Minister understands neither economy nor politics."
Experts warn that political sparring aside, time is running out for New Delhi. "Unless the Prime Minister engages Washington directly, the damage to India's export hubs like Tiruppur could become irreparable," one trade analyst cautioned.
