Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 19 : Congress leader Manickam Tagore on Tuesday alleged discrimination against Tamil Nadu after the Centre reportedly rejected Metro Rail proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai.
In a post on X, Tagore claimed that discrimination against Tamil Nadu seems to be ingrained in the DNA of the BJP-RSS. He further stated that the Central government is using the delay in the 2021 census as a tool to hinder development in the state.
Tagore also described the explanation that Madurai and Coimbatore do not meet the "2-million population benchmark" based on the 2011 Census as misleading. He claimed that the postponement of the 2021 Census has resulted in Tamil Nadu cities not receiving adequate funding, development projects, and infrastructure.
"The Union Government's rejection of Metro Rail proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai is outrageous and exposes, yet again, that discrimination against Tamil Nadu is embedded in the DNA of the BJP-RSS. The excuse given -- that these cities do not meet the "2-million population" benchmark as per the 2011 Census -- is not only absurd but also deliberately misleading. Why is India still using 2011 population data in 2025? Because Prime Minister Modi has delayed the 2021 Census indefinitely, making India the only major democracy in the world without updated population data for over 14 years. And who suffers because of this delay? Tamil Nadu. Our cities lose funding, development projects, and infrastructure because the Union Government refuses to update the numbers. Coimbatore and Madurai are among India's fastest-growing urban centres. Their current populations are far beyond the old 2011 figures. Yet Tamil Nadu is punished because the Modi government did not conduct the 2021 census -- and now uses that delay as a weapon to block development. This is not administration. This is targeted discrimination," wrote Tagore.
Tagore emphasised that the people of Tamil Nadu will not accept second-class treatment and demanded the immediate approval of the Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai.
"We strongly condemn the Union Government's anti-Tamil Nadu approach. The people of Tamil Nadu will not accept second-class treatment. We demand immediate approval of Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai using current realities, not outdated data manipulated for political bias," added Tagore.
https://x.com/manickamtagore/status/1990826967390900421?s=20
Earlier, the Centre reportedly rejected proposals for Metro Rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai, citing that both cities do not meet the required population threshold of 2 million, according to the 2011 census.
According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the population of Coimbatore is 15.84 lakh and that of Madurai is 15 lakh, based on the 2011 census. Hence, the Metro Rail Policy of 2017 specifies that a city must have a population of at least 2 million to be eligible for planning a Metro Rail project.