Senior AIADMK leader and former minister R B Udhayakumar on Monday stated that his party would hold large-scale protests across 16,640 village panchayats in Tamil Nadu to counter what he called the DMK government’s “false propaganda” on the rural employment guarantee scheme.
In a statement, Udhayakumar accused the ruling DMK of misleading people by claiming that the 100-day employment programme was being scrapped.
He said the AIADMK government had earlier increased the number of workdays to 125, and added that the planned protests would explain the true status of the scheme to voters in rural areas.
“The DMK is carrying out a malicious campaign alleging that the 100-day work scheme is being cancelled. This is a blatant lie. During the AIADMK regime, the work days were actually increased to 125 days. We are going to the people to explain the truth,” Udhayakumar said.
He also referred to the Union government’s Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G RAM G), which replaced the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) after two decades. The Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament and received Presidential assent in December 2025.
Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister M K Stalin, the AIADMK leader said the people of Tamil Nadu had gained no real benefits under the present DMK regime, despite the government organising several conferences and rallies.
He said that the DMK’s five-year rule had seen endless protests but no tangible outcomes for ordinary citizens. “In the last five years, this government has focused only on holding countless protests and conferences. What is the result for the people? It is a big zero. The Stalin raj (rule) has yielded nothing but debt,” he said.
Defending the Union Budget 2026–27, Udhayakumar described the Rs 53.47 lakh crore budget as a major step towards economic development. He condemned the DMK for dismissing the budget and said it aimed to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio from 56.1 per cent to 55.6 per cent, while allocating Rs 12.21 lakh crore for capital expenditure.
Highlighting key benefits, he pointed to the removal of customs duty on cancer medicines and the reduction in prices of mobile phones and electric vehicle components. He added that infrastructure projects, including high-speed rail corridors connecting Chennai with Bengaluru and Hyderabad, would significantly benefit Tamil Nadu.
Turning to governance issues, Udhayakumar cited recent irregularities in the TNPSC Group II examinations as proof of the DMK government’s administrative failure. He said a government that cannot conduct a basic recruitment exam smoothly has no moral right to speak about high-tech governance.
"This government talks about 'Stalin 2.0', but they cannot even upload an exam result or conduct a test properly. The youth of Tamil Nadu are in distress, and the 2026 assembly elections will be a lesson for the DMK," he said.
He further claimed that Tamil Nadu’s debt has increased to Rs 10.5 lakh crore under DMK rule and said the youth would deliver a decisive verdict against the ruling party in the 2026 Assembly polls.
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