TN BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran demands clarity on Stalin’s overseas investment missions

Chennai, Aug 30 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran has questioned the tangible outcomes of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s frequent foreign tours, urging the state government to place a white paper in the public domain detailing the actual investments secured through these missions.

While extending formal greetings to the Chief Minister on his ongoing visit to Europe, Nagenthran said that although efforts to attract global investments are welcome, the people of Tamil Nadu remain uncertain about the results of earlier tours. Since taking charge in 2021, Stalin has travelled abroad several times, but the BJP contends that there has been little evidence of these trips translating into functioning projects.

Nagenthran compared Tamil Nadu’s record with that of other states. Uttar Pradesh, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, reportedly mobilised Rs 7.12 lakh crore without foreign travel, while Maharashtra, under Devendra Fadnavis, secured Rs 15 lakh crore investments during a single Davos engagement.

He highlighted that Stalin’s 2022 Dubai trip had produced agreements worth Rs 6,100 crore, none of which have been implemented. Similarly, deals signed during visits to Singapore and Japan have not taken off. The Spain tour yielded three agreements, while the 2024 US trip concluded with 19 agreements worth Rs 7,500 crore—yet, according to the BJP, only one project has materialised.

The state BJP chief said foreign trips cannot be a substitute for governance. He argued that real job creation for youth depends on filling vacancies in government departments, strengthening start-ups with state support, and restoring confidence in law and order. Transparent governance, he said, was the real engine to win investor trust, rather than repeated tours abroad funded by taxpayers.

The BJP leader reiterated that the government must explain how many agreements have reached the implementation stage and how many are pending. A comprehensive white paper, Nagenthran said, would provide clarity to citizens and accountability in governance.

With the Chief Minister currently in Germany and the United Kingdom to promote Tamil Nadu as a global investment hub, the BJP’s demand has brought renewed focus on whether international tours are producing measurable benefits or remain high-profile exercises without visible outcomes.

–IANS

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