A heated social media exchange between Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and BJP state president K. Annamalai over the state’s debt has drawn significant attention.
Annamalai shared a video of CM M.K. Stalin’s 2021 election speech, questioning the state’s rising debt, which has reached ₹9.5 lakh crore. He accused the DMK government of mismanagement and asked, “How much commission have you taken?”
Responding sharply, Thangam Thennarasu pointed out that India’s national debt had increased from ₹55.87 lakh crore in 2014 to ₹181.74 lakh crore in 2025, asking if BJP leaders would question their own government. He urged Annamalai to secure pending central funds for Tamil Nadu instead of spreading misinformation.
Annamalai retaliated, claiming the DMK had turned Tamil Nadu into India’s most indebted state and argued that the BJP’s borrowings were for infrastructure development, unlike the DMK’s alleged mismanagement. He reiterated his demand for transparency on DMK’s financial decisions.