Fri Mar 14 08:03:00 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu BJP and AIADMK Walk Out of Assembly Over Budget, Corruption Allegations

**Chennai, March 14, 2025** – The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a dramatic walkout today by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) during the presentation of the 2025-26 state budget. The opposition parties cited two primary reasons for their protest: the state government’s controversial replacement of the rupee symbol (Re) with the Tamil letter (Ru) in the budget logo, and allegations of corruption within the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the state-run liquor distributor.

Four BJP MLAs, joined by AIADMK members, left the assembly in protest. BJP state president K Annamalai condemned the budget as an “eye-washing exercise” and accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government of failing to learn from the recent controversy surrounding the rupee symbol change. He called the government’s actions “artificial” and criticized Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for the decision.

The rupee symbol change, replacing the traditionally used “Re” with the Tamil equivalent “Ru,” has sparked a major political row. While DMK officials downplayed the incident, calling it a prioritization of Tamil, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman condemned the move as “secessionist,” reflecting a dangerous mindset. Annamalai had earlier criticized the move, calling Stalin “stupid.” The symbol change is viewed as the latest salvo in the ongoing conflict between the DMK and the BJP-led central government over the alleged imposition of Hindi.

Adding fuel to the fire, the BJP also targeted the DMK over alleged irregularities within TASMAC. BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan highlighted the Enforcement Directorate’s statement regarding thousands of crores of rupees in financial irregularities, calling the government’s credibility into question.

The AIADMK, a former BJP ally, while cautiously supporting protests against the alleged “Hindi imposition,” has focused its criticism on the TASMAC corruption allegations. Led by former Chief Minister E Palaniswami, over 60 AIADMK MLAs staged a walkout to express their disapproval. The party is demanding the DMK government resign amidst the allegations of unaccounted cash worth ₹1,000 crore.

The walkouts highlight the escalating tension between the ruling DMK and the opposition BJP and AIADMK ahead of next year’s Assembly elections, which will be a crucial test for the BJP’s influence in a state historically resistant to its nationalist agenda. The situation mirrors the recent Delhi elections where a liquor scam contributed to the BJP’s victory.

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