Legislators of the DMK, the principal Opposition party in Tamil Nadu, led by their leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, attended the presentation of the Agriculture Budget in the Assembly on Thursday (August 6, 2026) wearing black shirts to protest against the ruling TVK’s “failure” to secure Cauvery water and prevent Karnataka from constructing a dam at Mekedatu.

The Budget was presented by Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth, who, at the beginning of his speech, waxed eloquent about Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. Referring to the ‘whistle’, the party’s election symbol, he said it was the first raga produced by air. “Its majesty will endure even if heard only through its sound,” he said.

As DMK MLAs objected to his lengthy introductory remarks, Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar intervened and asked the Minister to confine himself to the Budget speech.

The Speaker also greeted Dairy Development Minister Vijayalakshmi and Animal Husbandry Minister Kamali.