Addressing party cadres during a protest in Thanjavur against the Mekedatu project, Udayanidhi said the failure to secure Cauvery water had led to the loss of kuruvai cultivation across the Delta and cast doubt over the samba crop as well. He alleged that the State government had failed to respond to the crisis.

Claiming that Tamil Nadu should have received 42 tmc ft of Cauvery water over the past two months but had received only 4 tmc ft, Udayanidhi said the government neither cared about nor understood the suffering of farmers. "While farmers were crying over crop losses, ministers were in tears after watching a movie," he remarked.

He alleged that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was focused only on retaining power and had failed to support farmers. He further claimed that farmers who attempted to meet the Chief Minister were arrested.

Udayanidhi also criticised the State Cabinet, describing it as a "gang of jokers". He alleged that the Water Resources Minister avoided the media, that the Agriculture Minister offered prayers with the Budget at the Tirupati temple, and that he referred to the past activities of several ministers, including selling lottery tickets, pirated CDs, and movie tickets at exorbitant prices. He also alleged that one minister was alleged to be a drug user and another was "wandering with a wooden log."

He further accused the Chief Minister, ministers and their family members of prioritising making social media reels over governance.