Chennai:
The BJP's Four Tamil Nadu Mlas Walked out of the Assembly Friday as the State's 2025/26 Budget was being read out. This was after the aiadmk's 60+ kils also walked out. The reason – to protest the currency symbol swap and corruption allegations in tasmac, the state liquor sales agency.
The Showdowns underline fast -ambassing tension between the Ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the opposition – The BJP and the AIDMK, The AIDMK, The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam – Ahead of NEAD OF NEHEDTARA Assembly election, which will be a big test of the saffron party's popularity in a state that has been rejected its muscular nationalist ageda in Favor of the Dravidian POLITICAL NARARAVE.
The BJP's State Unit Boss, K Annamalai, Told Reporters, “Our Four MLA, walked out for a simple reason – which is, the whole budget is an eye -washing exercise. It. And also also, the tamil nadu government has yet to learn lessons from yesterday. “
VIDEO | Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26: on party staging a walkout during budget presentation, BJP's state unit chief k Annamalai (@annamalai_k) Says, “You have seen the whole controversy that has been created artificially by the tamil nadu govt yesterday. They are wanted to change the… pic.twitter.com/balvuk202a
– Press Trust of India (@Pti_News) March 14, 2025
The reference was the re-ro swap that triggered a furious pushback from a bjp scrambleing for a first-time fthold in the southern state ahead of next year's assembles.
Re-Ru Swap Row
“You have seen the whole controversy that has been artificially created by the tamil nadu government … they wanted to change the rupee symbol and created so much ruckus …” Chief Minister mk stalin “stupid” for the swap, said.
Read | Tamil Nadu Replaces Re Symbol in Budget Amid Hindi Row With Center
The swap – replacing the rupee symbol (re) in the budget logo with the tamil letter (ru) Commonly used to refer to the currency – was the latest shot in the dmk's battle with the bjp -led centre openers' New National Education Policy's Three-Language Push.
Read | “Ruining Students' Future”, “Arrogant”: Center vs Tamil Nadu on Hindi Row
Party Leader Saravanan Annadurai May have played Down the Swap, Telling a News Outlet “There is noting illgal … this is not a 'showdown'. Finance minister nirmala sitharaman issues with responses.
Mr Annamalai Pointed out the Re Symbol – Partly Based on the Devanagari script on which hindi is based – Had actually been designed by the son of a former dmk MLA, and ms Sitharaman Slammed the Decision Ass “Secessionist”. IT Signals, She Said, “A Dangerous MindSet …”
Read | “Designed by Tamilian”: K Annamalai's “Stupid” Barb at DMK in Re Row
Meanwhile, the BJP also targeted the dmk over the alleged tasmac liquor scam.
After Delhi, Tamil Nadu Liquor Scam?
The party's coimbatore (south) MLA, Vanathi Srinivasan, Told Reporters The two Issues Combined Meant The Tamil Nadu Government Had Lost Its Cridibility. “Our walkout is on two issues … the first is that enforcement direction a statement about a statement about financial irregularities (in tasmac),” She Said,
#Watch Chennai: on Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Budget Session, Bjp MLA Vanathi Srinivasan Says, “The Walkout is on the two issues. The first is that ed has been a statement about the third Irregularities of Estimating Thousands of Crores … this government has… pic.twitter.com/qj25kvqnka
– ANI (@ani) March 14, 2025
The second, she said, was the “disact” shown to the re symbol.
AIADMK's Response
On all of this there has also been a mutated response from the ruling dmk's main rival – the aIadmk, a former bjp ally trending the Fine Line Line Between Opposing Mr Stalin's Party and Rising Alienating Tamil VOTERS by Not Protesting Vocifeerly enough aganst 'Hindi Imposition'.
The party has offered cautious support of protests against 'Hindi import', but has found a stronger voice in criticising the DMK over the TasMac Corruption Allegations. Party Boss and Former Chief Minister e Palaniswami LED a Walkout of His 60+ Mlas Over the Accounts.
The allegations have come after the enforcement Directorate Claimed “Multiple irregularities” in tasmac operations, including “Malpractice” Malpractice “and Unaccounted Cash Worth RS 1,000 Crus.
The aiadmk has demanded the dmk government stand down immmediated.
Incidentally, it was a liquor scam – Related to an excise policy – that played a key role in helping the BJP defeat the aap in delhi last month, and return to power in the National Capital After Three Decades.
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on Whatsapp Channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from ndtv on your chat.
Leave a Reply