Udhay Meets PM, Rahul in Delhi

Chennai: State Minister for Sports Development and Youth Welfare, Udhayanidhi Stalin, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and urged him to immediately release money from the National Disaster Fund to enable the State undertake comprehensive relief, restoration and rehabilitation work, besides inviting him to the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Chennai on January 19.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had reached Delhi on Wednesday night to meet the Prime Minister, also visited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Congress leader expressed concern over the recent floods in the State and the Minister enquired about the health of his mother Sonia Gandhi.

"We briefly discussed the progress of #INDIA alliance to safeguard the secular ethos of the nation," the Minister said in his message posted on the social media channel, X.

He said he was glad to have invited the Prime Minister for the Khelo Games opening ceremony, which would be another promising opportunity to demonstrate Tamil Nadu’s enviable organizing capability and illustrious history in the field of sports.

‘Also discussed various subjects of public importance to Tamil Nadu particularly the multi-faceted development of sports in Tamil Nadu with the PM,’ he said, giving credence to the speculations back home that he was being groomed to undertake bigger responsibilities in the government and the party.

Udhayanidhi Stalin said that the Prime Minister assured him to take necessary steps in releasing the funds demanded by Chief Minister M K Stalin to undertake relief work in the various districts in the State that were affected by the floods.

The Delhi visit of Udhayanidhi Stalin was organized to provide him the necessary exposure to national politics by meeting top national leaders personally and having discussions with them. The meeting with Rahul Gandhi was perhaps aimed at dispelling the doubts raised by skeptics if the DMK was trying to be in the good books of the BJP as it had more than a couple of years to go in office.