Chennai, Aug 6:
Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has strongly criticised the maiden Budget of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, calling it a “complete zero” and accusing the administration of failing to fulfil its election promises.
In his remarks, Udhayanidhi questioned when the government would begin delivering on the assurances it had made to the public. “We have been continuously asking—when will you fulfil your promises?” he said, highlighting what he described as a lack of concrete action.
He further alleged that the government’s claims of “change” were superficial, stating that many existing schemes had merely been renamed rather than newly introduced. According to him, the administration had simply “pasted new stickers” on old initiatives and presented them as fresh reforms.
Referring to a key promise, Udhayanidhi pointed out that the government had initially announced that all children born in Tamil Nadu would receive a gold ring. However, the Budget later clarified that the benefit would be limited only to children born in government hospitals, which he termed a dilution of the original commitment.
He also noted that several schemes named after prominent leaders such as Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Ayothidas Pandithar were originally launched during the previous DMK regime. He accused the current government of rebranding these programmes by adding the word “Vettri” (victory), associated with the ruling party, to their titles.
Citing specific examples, Udhayanidhi said that the “Kalaignar Kanavu Illam” scheme had been renamed as the “Vettri Veedu” scheme, while the “Mudhalvar Padaipagam” initiative had been reintroduced as a “Digital Library” project. He argued that these changes reflected a pattern of renaming rather than introducing meaningful policy innovations.
The criticism comes amid broader political debate over the TVK government’s first Budget, with opposition leaders questioning its impact and intent. The ruling party, however, maintains that its policies are aimed at long-term development and improved governance.