Tamil Nadu Minister draws flak after offering prayers with draft Agriculture Budget at Tirupati

Tamil Nadu Minister R. Vinoth after offering prayers at the Tirupati temple with the draft Agriculture Budget, on Saturday | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Tamil Nadu Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare R. Vinoth on Saturday (August 1, 2026) offered prayers at the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh by placing a copy of the draft Agriculture Budget there; this act subsequently drew flak from the Opposition and activists.The Budget session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is scheduled to commence on August 5, with Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson presenting the State Budget for 2026-27. As this will be the first Budget to be presented after the Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led government assumed office, expectations are high over whether the government will announce the infrastructure projects and welfare measures promised by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in its election manifesto.The Agriculture Budget will be presented by Mr. Vinoth in the Assembly on August 6, a day after the presentation of the State Budget. Ahead of the presentation, Mr. Vinoth took a copy of the draft Agriculture Budget to the Tirupati temple on Saturday morning and offered prayers.The move has drawn criticism from Opposition parties and activists. Criticising it in a post on X, CPI(M) MP Su. Venkatesan said, “Budget documents are not offerings to God. They are Constitutional documents that set out how taxpayers’ money will be spent. Using official government documents to express personal religious beliefs is contrary to constitutional principles.”Environmental activist G. Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, in a post on X, said: “How many times has the Agriculture Minister toured the Delta districts in the last three months? Farmers are in distress. In such a situation, what is the need for the Minister to take the Agriculture Budget to Tirupati?” Published - August 01, 2026 02:37 pm IST