New Delhi: Lauding the third quarter GDP numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (February 29) compared Tamil Nadu’s growth with the country, saying the state “must develop at a pace similar to India’s development”.In a post on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s official X account, Modi said, “It is my resolution that Tamil Nadu must develop at a pace similar to India’s development. Over the past 10 years … If AIIMS were inaugurated in India, we made sure that Madurai, too, got its AIIMS. If the poor have been guaranteed treatment for Rs. 5 Lakh in India, you must know that over 50 lakh beneficiaries are from Tamil Nadu.”“We are working for the development of Tamil Nadu even when the state govt is not cooperating with the Central govt. You must be cautious of such people and parties who hinder the progress of Tamil Nadu,” he added.It is my resolution that Tamil Nadu must develop at a pace similar to India’s development.Over the past 10 years…If AIIMS were inaugurated in India, we made sure that Madurai, too, got its AIIMS.If the poor have been guaranteed treatment for Rs. 5 Lakh in India, you must… pic.twitter.com/zpkDwLr727— BJP (@BJP4India) February 28, 2024Responding to the prime minister’s comments, P. Thiaga Rajan, who is also known as PTR and was finance minister in M.K. Stalin’s government till last year, said that Tamil Nadu has experienced higher economic growth than the Indian average over a ten-year period.“Tamil Nadu had 5.54% real NSDP [net state domestic product] growth per capita CAGR [compound annual growth rate], compared to 4.43% real GDP growth per capita CAGR for India (RBI’s statistics). This is CAGR for the 10-year period ending March 31, 2023 as the 2024 fiscal year still has one month left,” PTR said on X.Tamil Nadu had 5.54% Real NSDP Growth Per Capita CAGR, compared to 4.43% Real GDP Growth Per Capita CAGR for India (RBI’s statistics). This is Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for the 10 year period ending March 31, 2023 as the 2024 Fiscal Year still has one month left.As a… https://t.co/WKiPYe8ewO— Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) February 29, 2024“As a consequence, we went up from at least 1.3 times to at least 1.44 times the Indian average per capita GDP (2011-2012 Rupee Base). (Note the state data is NET, while the National is GROSS),” he added.“Why would anyone WANT to slow TN’s growth by more than 1% every year, to come down to the Indian average? In reality, the gap will likely widen further under the leadership of Hon CM @mkstalin, rather than come down to the Indian average.”“The rest of the reported statement, if accurate, has worse deviations from the facts, and indeed the truth (e.g. AIIMS Madurai’s construction is yet to start; the TN Governor does not even sign Legislation from the Assembly – an illogical way of working for the development of TN).”“The great luxury of advanced levels of education, and widespread rational thinking – both clear outcomes of the Dravidian Ideology in Government for decades – is that the vast majority of Tamil people recognize reality, and experience progress, in their daily lives. So they cannot be duped into believing gross falsehoods.”“Ultimately, the people get the Government they elect, and then experience the differing outcomes they chose at the booth…”M.K. Stalin, the state’s chief minister, hit back at Modi’s statement that the state government did not cooperate with the Union government, saying he was “making superficial and generalised allegations”.“Did we block the opening of AIIMS in Madurai? Did we stand in the way of metro rail projects? Let him tell us for which central projects we did not allocate land,” Stalin was quoted as saying in a letter to his party cadre by the New Indian Express.The Hindu quoted him as saying that “Modi, who did not give the state government the funds it was entitled to, prevented it from taking loans and even failed to provide flood relief, cannot find fault with the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]”.“The prime minister’s speech, in which he claimed that the DMK would be crushed and destroyed, has brought disrepute to the post he holds,” Stalin also said, adding that he wouldn’t wish for the BJP not to live on and that it “had the right to remain in the democratic setup as a political party”.He added that Modi was visiting the state frequently and that “the fear of defeat is visible on his face”.