CHENNAI: Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare R Vinoth offering prayers on Saturday at the Venkateswara temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, carrying alongside allegedly the draft Agriculture Budget for 2026-27 due for tabling in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 6, drew condemnation from various political parties and others.
CPI state secretary M Veerapandian in a statement said the draft Agriculture Budget was an official government document and should not have been used for a religious ceremony. He said India is a secular country where matters of religion and personal faith should remain separate from government functions. Placing the draft budget at a temple goes against the Constitution, he added.
The minister’s claim that the prayers offered were towards the welfare of agriculture and farmers are unconvincing, Veerapandian said, urging the government to uphold secularism in official matters.
On the minister’s act, the AIADMK IT wing questioned the propriety of taking the draft budget outside Tamil Nadu and using it during temple rituals. It violates the oath of secrecy taken by ministers and Assembly rules, the party wing stated, demanding action.
CPI(M) MP Su Venkatesan said budget documents were constitutional documents that explain how taxpayers’ money would be spent and are “not offerings to God”.
Joining the criticism, DMK students’ wing deputy secretary Tamil Ka Amutharasan called for a detailed inquiry into the minister’s act and appropriate action in the event of violation of any law or Assembly rule.
Environmental activist G Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal also questioned the minister’s visit, asking why he had taken the draft Agriculture Budget to Tirupati when farmers are in distress and expecting support from the Tamil Nadu government.