Tamil Nadu BJP slams CM Stalin for ‘disinformation’ on central funds
TN BJP said CM Stalin’s comments on central fund allocation were deceptive, arguing that his ‘namam’ reference distorted the meaning and misinformed the public
Tamil Nadu BJP flayed Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday (November 28) for allegedly spreading a disinformation campaign about central fund allocation and accused the ruling dispensation of “deceiving” the people on the issue.
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The party’s chief spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy, said it would be appropriate for the Chief Minister to speak “responsibly” after pondering over the implications of his choice of words.
Controversial remarks
Thirupathy said Stalin had used the word 'Namam'to imply deception about the Union government's allocation of funds to Tamil Nadu.
Thirupathy noted that, namam meant name (or religious mark on forehead), referring to Stalin’s remark that his government mopped up revenue through the collection of taxes but barely received its share from the central pool.
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The Chief Minister’s contention was that Tamil Nadu was only for the collection of taxes through GST and direct taxes, but the state did not receive its fair share of the central funds.
"வரி வசூலிக்க மட்டும் தமிழ்நாடு; நிதி ஒதுக்கீட்டில் பட்டை நாமம் போடுகிறது பாஜக அரசு" : முதல்வர் மு.க.ஸ்டாலின்.
— Narayanan Thirupathy (@narayanantbjp) November 27, 2025
நாமம் என்பதன் பொருள் 'பெயர்' என்பதே! சம்ஸ்கிருத வேர்ச் சொல்லான நாமம் என்ற சொல்லை திமுக மற்றும் அதிமுக வின் கூட்டங்களிலேயே 'அண்ணா நாமம்' வாழ்க என்று கூறுவதையே…
Meaning of Namam
He added that Stalin had used 'namam' as a political jibe to suggest deception, but the term simply means “name” in Sanskrit.
He further referred to several occasions when Dravidian parties, which hailed late Chief Minister CN Annadurai by uttering Anna namam (In the name of Anna).
He also noted several Tamil classic works, including Silappadhikaram and Purananuru, in which the term namam is used.
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“In Silappadhikaram, ‘Nilavodu Namam Paranthu' means fame spread along with the moon. In Purananur, there was a mention of ‘namam perta innisai,' a famous musical piece. At no point in time did the word namam have any other meaning other than its original meaning of name," the BJP senior leader noted.
(With agency inputs)