CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday expressed solidarity with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and said that the BJP led NDA government at the Centre must understand that opposition parties were an integral part of our democracy and should not be treated as enemies to be silenced.

Stalin alluded to the conduct of the Niti Aayog meeting against the spirit of cooperative federalism.

In a message posted on his 'X' page shortly after Mamata walked out of the Niti Aayog meeting claiming that she was denied time to air her views, Stalin asked, "Is this#CooperativeFederalism? Is this the way to treat a Chief Minister?"

"The Union BJP government must understand that opposition parties are an integral part of our democracy and should not be treated as enemies to be silenced. Cooperative Federalism requires dialogue and respect for all voices, " Stalin said.

Stalin in a post on X asked, "Is this #CooperativeFederalism? Is this the way to treat a Chief Minister? The Union BJP government must understand that opposition parties are an integral part of our democracy and should not be treated as enemies to be silenced. Cooperative Federalism requires dialogue and respect for all voices."