Chennai, May 23 (Reporter) After boycotting the last meeting citing neglect of the State by the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister left or New Delhi on Friday to take part in the Niti Aayog meeting tomorrow and to secure. due financial rights from the Union government. Mr Stalin was seen off at the airport by his Cabinet colleagues and senior DMK leaders. During his visit, Mr Stalin was expected to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking pending dues from the Centre and other issues concerning the State. He was also expected to meet top political leaders, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He would return to the city tomorrow evening. Meanwhile, Mr Stalin slammed Opposition AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami for attributing motives to his Delhi visit. Mr Stalin said he was going to Delhi to secure the state's financial rights. and secure the due funds to Tamil Nadu. Stating that he stood firm in his principles, Mr Stalin asserted that he would fight and secure the due funds for the state from the Centre. He said the State government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to secure the state's rights and against the Centre's refusal to release Rs 2,152 crore due funds to TN under the SSA scheme for the school education sector as the state rejected the NEP-2020, which envisaged implementation of the three-language formula and imposition of Hindi, as against the long followed two-language policy in the State. Taking a dig at Mr Palaniswami for attributing motives to his Delhi visit, Mr Stalin said he would remain ideologically firm and fight for the rights of the state. Seeking to know why his visit to Delhi pains Mr Palaniswami, who is also the AIADMK General Secretary and the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said "from Sasikala to Amit Shah, the person may change, but his (Palaniswami) habit of crawling and prostrating under the table has never changed." "Even before the saliva on the tongue that declared that there was no alliance with the BJP, could dry, Mr Palaniswami, who after a single raid rushed to wave the white flag, has no shame in accusing me of surrendering", Mr Stalin, said, strongly reacting to his criticisms. "This hand of Stalin is one that holds the red-black flag of the DMK. The hand lifted by Perarignar (DMK Stalwart and late CM C N Annadurai). The hand that walked holding Kalaignar’s (DMK Leader and late CM Karunanidhi’s) hand. I will always hold the flag for rights. I will never crawl,” he said. "Even today, I have filed a case in the Supreme Court for the rights of Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said and asserted that “I will stand firm in my principles. I will fight and secure Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of funds". Mr Palaniswami has criticised Mr Stalin’s decision to attend the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi and alleged that it was intended for personal gains rather than for the larger welfare of Tamil Nadu. He questioned the sudden change in his stance and recalled that Mr Stalin had earlier boycotted the NITI Aayog meetings in protest against the Union Government’s alleged neglect of Tamil Nadu. Hinting at the recent Enforcement Directorate raids which had unearthed Rs 1,000 crore irregularities in the state-owned TASMAC, the Opposition leader questioned the timing of the CM’s visit to the National Capital...////...