"People of TN have had enough of DMK's drama": Annamalai on protest against Centre over NREGA payments

New Delhi [India], March 29 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief K Annamalai on Saturday alleged that the DMK Government has ignored complaints of irregularities in the execution of the MGNREGA and "misappropriation of funds" by corrupt DMK functionaries.
He stated that the people of Tamil Nadu have had enough of their "drama".
Tamil Nadu has received the highest allocation of Rs39,339 crores under MGNREGA in the last four years. However, the DMK government has been accused of turning a blind eye to complaints of irregularities and misappropriation of funds by corrupt functionaries.
"The people of TN know well that under the MGNREGA, TN has received the highest allocation of Rs39,339 Crores in our country in the last four years, and the DMK Govt has turned a blind eye towards complaints of irregularities in the scheme's execution and the misappropriation of funds by corrupt DMK functionaries. The people of TN have had enough of DMK's drama," said the BJP state president.
The BJP leader shared a video on his social media platform X showing Tamil Nadu Minister KKSSR Ramachandran allegedly hitting a woman with a petition when she approached him for help. However, the woman, Kalavathi, later clarified that the minister had merely tapped her on the head in an affectionate manner.

DMK Minister Thiru KKSSR Ramachandran is known for hitting women with petition when they seek solutions to their problems.

Today, he sped at lightning speed after being questioned by our @BJP4TamilNadu functionary Smt Meena avl about why he called for a Gram Sabha meeting and… pic.twitter.com/ZSnyAIKod1

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) March 29, 2025

Fast-forward to the present, Ramachandran is once again under fire. This time, he hastily left a Gram Sabha meeting after being questioned by a BJP functionary, Meena, about converting the meeting into a protest against the Central Government, demanding funds for MGNREGA.
"DMK Minister Thiru KKSSR Ramachandran is known for hitting women with petition when they seek solutions to their problems. Today, he sped at lightning speed after being questioned by our @BJP4TamilNadu functionary Smt Meena avl about why he called for a Gram Sabha meeting and converted it into a protest against the Central Govt demanding funds for MGNREGA," Annamalai said in a social media post on X.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced protests against the Union Government over the issue of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) payments.
DMK is protesting all across Tamil Nadu with all its union branches against the Union Government not providing Rs 4304 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the 100-day work guarantee scheme.
Protests are being held in 1,170 locations across 850 DMK union branches, gathering those involved in the 100-day work scheme to participate in the demonstration.
DMK MP TR Balu led the protests on the outskirts of Chennai in Paranipudur in Kanchipuram. During the protests, TR Balu stated that the scheme was the initiative of DMK leader M Karunanidhi and guaranteed employment. He added that it would give employment to rural people for at least 100 days.
"DMK will continue its struggle in the public interest. In MNREGA, more than Rs 5,000 crores have been reduced from last year to this year, as per the reply given by the minister...We have already addressed the issue, and this demonstration will continue. The Union Govt is reducing the sanctioned budget each and every year...", TR Balu said during the protests to ANI.
He added that the scheme is 100 percent owned by the Union Government, and there were no issues with the scheme's wages until the UPA government was in power.
The DMK MP said that they have asked the parliament why the employees have not been paid for the past five months, but the Union Agriculture Minister has not given a proper answer.
He added that the Union Government is trying to eradicate the scheme and that the DMK is protesting in more than 1,000 places in Tamil Nadu. Balu stated that he is sure that the issue will reflect in the upcoming assembly polls.
Earlier, Opposition MPs from Kerala, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest over the MNREGA issue outside the premises of Parliament. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi had also joined the protest for a short period of time.
MNREGA aims to provide at least 100 days of paid work each year to rural households. It was passed in September 2005 and implemented in February 2006. (ANI)