Chennai: Minister Ramesh on Monday pushed back against criticism from the Opposition during the Assembly debate on the budget, referring to a widely discussed episode involving a farmer who walked on concrete laid inside a sugarcane plantation.
As he concluded his reply to the DMK, former minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam took a swipe, alleging that the minister was delivering “reels-style” content and claiming that the DMK government had “action” but not “acting.”
During the discussion on grants for the agriculture budget, Panneerselvam also said farmers did not take to protests during the DMK’s tenure. The minister’s side countered this by pointing to protests by farmers over alleged irregularities in vehicle movement after procurement, and allegations that officials fixed a price below the sugarcane procurement rate.
The exchange also triggered lighter moments in the House. Panneerselvam remarked that his side had spent five years in tension expecting early-morning calls to the Chief Minister, while the current ministers appeared relaxed. Minister Anand responded that they remained under pressure, saying the Chief Minister personally followed up even on small canal issues, prompting laughter and further quips in the Assembly.
