CHENNAI: In her first official engagement with Narendra Modi after he became Prime Minister, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will meet him in Delhi next week, in a bid to push for Central assistance for her state.
The June 3 meeting is scheduled against the backdrop of Jayalalithaa boycotting Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on May 26 to protest Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presence at the event. She had earlier dubbed as “unfortunate” the invitation to Rajapaksa.
Jayalalithaa will meet Modi at his South Block office, a state government release said, adding, she will present a memorandum to the Prime Minister.
“This memorandum will include some crucial issues relating to Tamil Nadu which have been pending with the Government of India,” the release said, without elaborating.
The memorandum will also highlight some issues which require the urgent attention of the Centre “to safeguard the legitimate interests of the state and to propel the state on a faster growth path.”
Soon after she took over in 2011 following a strong mandate, Jayalalithaa had met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to present a memorandum of various demands for the state, including a financial assistance package of Rs one lakh crore in the light of the state’s debt situation.
She had also raised the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, and pressed for demands including action against alleged war crimes.
Although Jayalalithaa boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of Modi as Prime Minister, the two leaders are known to share cordial ties.
While Modi had attended her swearing-in as Chief Minister in 2011, she had returned the favor by participating in Modi’s swearing-in as Gujarat Chief Minister after he retained power in the 2012 Assembly elections.–PTI
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