Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday (August 6, 2026) said the DMK had submitted a request to Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar seeking to adjourn the House proceedings after Question Hour to hold a discussion on the Cauvery water dispute.

“We have to raise a number of issues concerning farmers. We hope the Speaker will allow our demand,” Mr. Udhayanidhi told reporters at the Secretariat.

He said the DMK would raise the Cauvery issue in detail during the Assembly proceedings and expressed hope that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay “would break his silence” and respond to the Opposition’s questions.

“The people of Tamil Nadu and the farmers are eagerly waiting for his response,” he said.

Responding to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who alleged that the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), like the previous DMK government, was merely staging a “drama” by presenting an Agriculture Budget, Mr. Udhayanidhi said the DMK had never promised to waive crop loans.

“Let the Chief Minister respond if he has the courage. We will also give our reply,” he said, adding the DMK and other Opposition parties had been consistently demanding an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water dispute.

Mr. Udhayanidhi further alleged although farmers across the State were facing serious challenges, the Agriculture Budget had failed to address their pressing concerns.

“It is not a budget, but an encomium to the Chief Minister,” he said.

Published - August 06, 2026 04:02 pm IST