Budget 'leak' at Tirumala temple puts Agricuture Minister Vinoth in dock

CHENNAI: Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister R Vinoth triggered a political controversy on Saturday after offering prayers at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati, carrying a document related to the State's agriculture budget, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition and even the Left parties, an outside supporter of the ruling TVK government.

Vinoth, who is scheduled to present the government's maiden agriculture budget in the Assembly on August 6, said he had sought the deity's blessings before presenting the budget.

However, after a video of him carrying the budget document went viral on social media, Vinoth denied taking any confidential budget papers to the temple, clarifying that the document in his possession was only the budget preface.

"It is not the complete budget document. The final budget papers are with the department secretary. What I carried was only the preface containing some highlights of the agriculture budget, which will be presented to the Chief Minister," he told reporters here.

Madurai MP Su Venkatesan of the CPM described the minister's action as unconstitutional, saying that budget documents, which explain how taxpayers' money will be spent, should not be reduced to offerings that reflect personal religious beliefs. CPI state secretary M Veerapandian also objected to the minister taking the document to the temple.

The AIADMK accused the minister of violating Assembly convention by taking an untabled budget document outside Tamil Nadu and questioned whether the government and the Speaker would initiate action over what it termed a breach of legislative rules and the oath of confidentiality.