DMK Holds Protests Across Tamil Nadu Against “Discriminatory” Union Budget

The governing DMK in Tamil Nadu staged demonstrations throughout the state today claiming that the Union Budget was “biased” against states that “rejected” the BJP.

DMK Leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin accused Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of crafting a budget to “retaliate” against states that “rejected” the BJP and supported the INDIA alliance.

The DMK coalition dominated the recent Lok Sabha elections by winning all 39 seats in Tamil Nadu.

The party criticized the budget for not allocating funds for the Rs 64,000 crore Chennai Metro Rail Phase II Project, which was announced in 2021, and neglecting the necessity for metro rail in Coimbatore and Madurai.

Instead, smaller towns received significant aid, according to Mr. Stalin.

MK Stalin also condemned the Centre’s decision to withhold a Rs 37,000 crore relief package for damage caused by Cyclone Michaung and heavy rains, while allocating Rs 10,000 crore for NDA partner states.

Mr. Stalin alleged that the Centre has yet to finish the Madurai AIIMS project even after a decade and has withheld SSA funds for schools in the state, while using the National Education Policy and Hindi as leverage to release funds.

The Finance Minister has refuted the accusations. The state BJP has stated that MK Stalin should have participated in the Niti Aayog meeting to secure welfare programs for the state. Boycotting the meeting, it argues, would be detrimental to the state’s interests.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin was the first to declare his boycott of the Niti Ayog meeting. Subsequently, the Congress announced that its chief ministers, including Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, Siddaramaiah of Karnataka, and Revanth Reddy of Telangana, would also be skipping the meeting.