Stalin slams Centre's 'no metro' move for Madurai, Coimbatore as revenge

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday hit out at the Union BJP government for rejecting Metro Rail projects for Madurai and Coimbatore, calling the move an act of "revenge" against the people of the state.

In a post on 'X,' Stalin said the Centre had told the state "No metro" for the "Temple City" of Madurai and "South India's Manchester", Coimbatore, despite similar projects being cleared in other smaller cities in BJP-ruled states.

"The Union BJP government has denied Metro Rail for Temple City Madurai and for South India's Manchester, Coimbatore, on flimsy grounds. A government exists to serve people without bias. Yet the Union #BJP treats #Tamil Nadu's democratic choice as a reason to take revenge," wrote CM Stalin in his post.

The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry recently reportedly returned Tamil Nadu's Detailed Project Reports for the two Tier-II cities, citing the Metro Rail Policy, 2017, which restricts central support to urban agglomerations with a population of at least 20 lakh as per the 2011 Census, according to reports.

Coimbatore and Madurai had populations of about 15.84 lakh and 15 lakh respectively in 2011, falling short of that threshold, the Centre has pointed out in its communication rejecting the state's proposals.

Questioning what he called an "uneven application" of the policy, the CM noted that Metro projects had been approved in cities such as Agra, Bhopal and Patna, which also fall below the 20 lakh norm but are located in BJP-ruled states.

He contended that the Union government was treating Tamil Nadu's democratic verdict against the BJP as a reason to "take revenge" by denying key infrastructure to its people.

A government must function in a manner that is fair to all and not display such a "mean approach" of punishing opposition-ruled states, Stalin said, terming the rejection of the projects "disgraceful".

Describing Madurai as "Kovil Nagar" (Temple City) and Coimbatore as the "Manchester of South India", he said both cities deserved modern mass transit systems and accused the Centre of slighting their aspirations with its "No Metro" response.

The chief minister asserted that his government, along with the people of Madurai and Coimbatore, would "defeat" what he alleged was the BJP's vindictive design and ensure that Metro Rail becomes a reality in the two urban centres.

Tamil Nadu had submitted DPRs, a Comprehensive Mobility Plan and an Alternative Analysis Report for the two projects between February and December 2024, and in March this year the Centre had informed Parliament that they were under consideration, before the latest rejection.

The Metro proposals are part of the DMK government's broader effort to expand mass transit beyond Chennai and improve connectivity in fast-growing industrial centres across the state, a demand Stalin has repeatedly raised with the Union government, including through earlier representations seeking approval for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail.