"Wake Up And Respond": MK Stalin's Swipe At Vijay Over "Hollow" Budget

DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday called Tamil Nadu's agriculture budget "hollow" and asked the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-led government to "wake up".

In a post on X, he alleged that the TVK government's maiden budget ignored issues like drought and crop losses suffered by farmers.

"Instead of addressing the drought, the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Budget 2026 served merely as a platform to sing praises and shower the chief minister with flattery," he wrote in Tamil.

He said the newly formed government had "merely rebranded existing schemes" instead of introducing meaningful measures for farmers.

"Does this government believe its job is done simply by slapping the label 'success' onto Dravidian model schemes?" he said, referring to the schemes launched by the DMK government.

"This agricultural budget offers nothing to the farmers of the Delta region, whose Kuruvai cultivation has been affected and who are waiting for a helping hand from the government. It is an utterly hollow budget," Stalin said.

"The slumbering government must wake up and provide answers. Solutions must be found," he added.

வறட்சி பற்றி பேசாமல், புகழ்ச்சி பாடி முதலமைச்சரின் உச்சிகுளிர பாராட்டுமழை பொழியப் பயன்பட்டதுதான் #TNAgriBudget2026.

மற்றுமொரு பெயர்மாற்ற நிகழ்வாக மட்டுமே நடந்து முடிந்துள்ளது.#DravidianModel அரசின் திட்டங்களின் மேல் 'வெற்றி' என்ற லேபிளை ஒட்டினால் வேலை முடிந்தது என்று இந்த அரசு… pic.twitter.com/YlD3WedXB3

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 6, 2026

His son and the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin, also termed the agriculture budget as "absolute nothing", accusing Vijay of "betraying" farmers and failing to deliver on key election promises.

"Absolutely nothing," Udhayanidhi, who was briefly detained this week over alleged remarks against actor Trisha, said about the budget while addressing reporters outside the Assembly.

"We have been consistently calling for an all-party meeting on the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues. We need to demonstrate that all political parties in Tamil Nadu stand united on this front. But as usual, the chief minister remains silent and refuses to respond," Udhayanidhi said.

Criticising the TVK government's unfulfilled poll pledges, he highlighted that despite promising complete crop loan waivers for farmers holding up to five acres, the state had repeatedly defaulted on its word.

Udhayanidhi said that while the initial waiver cap was announced at Rs 50,000 and later revised to Rs 75,000 following intense demand from farmers, farmers continue to demand the total waiver originally promised.