Chennai sources have stated that the Opposition leader M.K. Stalin on Tuesday had questioned the act of Finance Minister D. Jayakumar taking the budget papers outside the secretariat before they were presented in the Assembly.
Meanwhile when intervening during a debate on the Budget, Mr. Stalin said though he had no issues with the minister paying homage to late Chief Minister Jayalalitha, budget papers should not be taken out of the secretariat. He had said the DMK had already made a representation to the Governor in this regard.
When Mr. Jayakumar explained he had not violated the oath
taken under the Constitution since had not leaked the content of the budget, Mr.
Stalin wondered whether the minister had carried only an empty suitcase to
Jayalalitha’s memorial. When responding to Mr. Jayakumar’s allegation that the
DMK government failed to get adequate funds and schemes even though it was part
of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.
Mr. Stalin listed the Metro Rail project, the Golden Quadrilateral project and Maduravoyal Elevated Expressway as some of the projects secured by the DMK for Tamil Nadu. The DMK members also took exception to Mr. Jayakumar accusing former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam of behaving like a film personality.