AIADMK walks out ahead of budget presentation

"DMK gave unrealistic poll promises including the ban on NEET. We want the DMK to fulfil its poll promises like a ban on NEET and reduction in petrol and diesel prices," leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami told reporters after the walkout from assembly.

"The DMK gave as many as 505 poll promises and through such unrealistic promises, they won the assembly polls."

"DMK president Stalin said his first sign would be the abolition of NEET exams. The DMK has completed 100 days in office and there is a respite from NEET. The contradictory statement by the DMK during elections has created confusion among the student community", EPS said.

"Further, the white paper tabled by the finance minister is of no use and has just carried the details of the previous budgets. He had also charged baseless allegations against the previous AIADMK government and the purpose of the white paper was just a political gimmick and will not serve any public purpose," Palaniswami said.

The AIADMK also condemns the DMK government for foisting cases against the party workers and former ministers. "We also wanted to raise the issue of part organ “Namadhu Amma” being raided and explain how the sleuths stopped the journalists from printing the newspaper but denied the opportunity to speak, so the AIADMK had walked out of the assembly," Palaniswami said charging that the DMK was against the freedom of the press.

Addressing reporters, AIADMK coordinator O Paneerselvam said that he would expose the white paper report and the lapses in the state budget presented by the finance minister P T R Palanivel Thyagarajan. "I had been the state finance minister for more than 10 years and I was surprised to see the incumbent minister submitting ‘facts’ that never existed," OPS said. "My budget reply will be in detail and befitting to the DMK," OPS added.

Earlier in the day, all the AIADMK MLAs staged a walkout after the party opposition leader EPS was denied permission to speak by the assembly speaker M Appavu ahead of the budget presentation.