TN Budget: AIADMK walks out of Assembly, BJP boycotts House

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a dramatic start to the budget session as the opposition AIADMK staged a walkout, while the BJP boycotted the proceedings.  

AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), accused the ruling DMK government of failing to take responsibility for a liquor scam that allegedly involved corruption worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

Speaking to the media outside the Assembly, EPS demanded the resignation of the DMK government, citing moral responsibility over the scam.

He criticised the government for its lack of transparency, stating that despite an ongoing investigation, no substantial action had been taken.

EPS also claimed that the opposition had submitted a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, but it was ignored and not taken up for discussion.

Meanwhile, BJP leader and Coimbatore MLA Vanathi Srinivasan addressed reporters outside the Assembly, explaining the party’s decision to boycott the session. She accused the Tamil Nadu government of insulting the Constitution by removing the Devanagari rupee symbol from the state budget logo and replacing it with the Tamil rupee symbol.

She argued that while the Tamil rupee symbol is commonly used in private and personal writings, the official removal of the nationally accepted rupee symbol was a deliberate move.

According to her, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his cabinet had taken oath under the Constitution, yet their actions undermined constitutional principles.

Vanathi Srinivasan also accused the DMK government of diverting public attention from real issues, such as the Rs 1,000 crore liquor scam that was flagged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

She alleged that instead of addressing corruption, the government was engaging in symbolic changes to shift focus.

The presentation of this year’s budget has been overshadowed by controversy following Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s decision to remove the Indian rupee symbol from the state budget’s official logo. Instead, the Tamil alphabet ‘Roo’  has been used to represent ‘Roobai,’ the Tamil word for rupee.

On Thursday (March 13), CM Stalin unveiled the promotional logo for the budget, featuring the new symbol along with the slogan “Ellarkum Ellam” (Everything for Everyone), emphasising inclusiveness. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and Union Ministers, who have accused the DMK government of promoting linguistic and regional chauvinism.

The Tamil Nadu budget session commenced with Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu presenting the budget. However, the AIADMK’s walkout and the BJP’s boycott signal a stormy and contentious session ahead.