BJP Trying To Turn India Into An Autocracy

INTERVIEW - M.K. STALIN, chief minister, Tamil Nadu

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

It is a pleasant Monday morning in Chennai. Fort St. George, the seat of power in Tamil Nadu, is busy as usual. Cars with red beacons move in and out of the colonial-era complex, ferrying VIPS. The police soon clear the way for Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's cavalcade. AS THE WEEK team waits outside the chief minister's office, we meet Industries Minister T.R.B. Raaja, who explains why investors from across the world pick Tamil Nadu as their favourite destination, although he concedes that there is stiff challenge from Gujarat these days.

As we step into the chief minister's chamber, he greets s warmly. Stalin wants Health Minister Ma. Subramanian to join the conversation. Also present is Stalin's son, Udhayanidhi, who is the minister for sports and youth affairs. Stalin, the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, is now a key figure in the opposition's mission to launch an anti-BJP front ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. On March 1, the day he turned 70, Stalin reiterated the importance of a united front to take on the BJP at a public meeting in Chennai. Rejecting the idea of a third front, he made a fervent appeal to parties opposed to the BJP to fight the Lok Sabha polls together. The Congress remains a key element in Stalin's plans.

Stalin has a tight schedule for the day and the worried looks on the faces of his staff and Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena mean that the chief minister will give his detailed answers later, in writing. And he does not disappoint. In an exhaustive interview, Stalin touches upon a range of issues, including opposition unity, the role of Nitish Kumar, the importance of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi, the tense encounters with Governor R.N. Ravi, the north-south divide and why he believes that another term for Modi will hurt the idea of India. Excerpts: