BJP leader CR Kesavan on Saturday harshly criticized the Tamil Nadu government’s budget, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, calling it “dismal, directionless,” and “insensitive” to the people’s needs. Kesavan accused the DMK government of ignoring critical public concerns while burdening the state with a staggering debt of Rs 9.3 lakh crore, making Tamil Nadu the highest debtor in the country.
Kesavan compared the budget to a “directionless drifting vehicle,” arguing that it fails to address the aspirations and necessities of the people, especially given the state’s growing financial distress. He emphasized that the budget’s inadequacy, combined with the mounting debt, has worsened the plight of the youth, the elderly, and the poor in Tamil Nadu.
Additionally, Kesavan linked the budget’s failure to the ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor business. He alleged that the ED’s revelations about irregularities in the liquor business have overshadowed the budget discussions. He claimed that the scale of the TASMAC scam could surpass the Delhi liquor scam, which led to the downfall of the AAP government.
“The DMK government has a lot to answer for. Their financial mismanagement and corruption allegations raise serious concerns about governance in Tamil Nadu,” Kesavan stated.
This criticism comes after Tamil Nadu BJP leaders, including Tamilisai Soundarajan and K Annamalai, also slammed the budget, calling it “empty” and accusing the DMK government of making only superficial announcements while failing to fulfill election promises.
The remarks followed Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu’s presentation of the fifth budget of the DMK government, in which he emphasized allocations for education and the two-language policy despite financial challenges.
