CHENNAI: Personal expressions of faith by two Tamil Nadu ministers drew attention during the state’s budget presentations this week, with finance minister Marie Wilson carrying a rosary into the Assembly before presenting the revised Budget for 2026-27, while agriculture minister R Vinoth offered prayers at the Tirumala temple ahead of tabling the Agriculture Budget.Finance minister Marie Wilson entered the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly carrying a rosary and began presenting the revised Budget Estimates for 2026-27 by making the sign of the cross.On Saturday, agriculture minister R Vinoth offered prayers at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh before presenting the state’s Agriculture Budget in the Assembly, saying he had sought divine blessings ahead of the exercise.Vinoth’s temple visit had already sparked controversy after he was photographed holding what appeared to be the Agriculture Budget document while offering prayers.Opposition parties and even some of the government’s allies questioned whether confidential budget papers had been taken outside the state before being tabled in the Assembly.Responding to the criticism, Vinoth had told TOI that he was carrying only the preface of the Agriculture Budget and not the complete document.“It is not the complete budget document. The budget document is more than 100 pages, but I had the preface of it. The final budget papers are with the department secretary. What I carried was only the preface containing some highlights of the agriculture budget, which will be presented to the chief minister,” he said.Rejecting allegations of impropriety, Vinoth said there was no question of seeking the views of cabinet colleagues or senior bureaucrats as it was only a draft preface.“Those who want to create a controversy will continue to do so regardless of my explanation. My focus is only on presenting the budget successfully. At present, I am going through the PDF of the budget document,” he said.However, a senior bureaucrat told TOI that budget-related documents are generally treated as confidential until they are tabled in the legislature.“The Speaker will decide whether this amounts to a breach of privilege or not. But budget papers are government documents and are not expected to be in the public domain before being presented in the House,” the official said.The episode drew criticism not only from the opposition but also from the CPM, which extends outside support to the Vijay-led government.Madurai MP Su Venkatesan termed the minister’s action “unconstitutional”, arguing that budget documents are constitutional and political instruments explaining how taxpayers’ money will be spent and should not be turned into offerings reflecting individual religious beliefs.CPI state secretary M Veerapandian also objected to Vinoth carrying the document to the temple, while the AIADMK called it a serious breach of Assembly convention and questioned why an untabled budget document had been taken outside Tamil Nadu.Wilson’s appearance in the Assembly with a rosary also drew political attention, prompting Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan to defend the finance minister.“The Finance Minister presenting the Budget while wearing a prayer rosary reflects his personal faith. Everyone has the right to hold religious beliefs, and the Constitution of India recognizes and protects that right. This should not be turned into a religious controversy. A government that upholds secularism can also respect individual religious beliefs. These should not be viewed negatively,” Thirumavalavan said.The two budget presentations came as the Tamil Nadu government unveiled its financial roadmap for 2026-27.While Wilson’s Budget focused on education, infrastructure and welfare measures, Vinoth’s Agriculture Budget announced allocations for farm mechanisation, free electricity, soil health, AI-enabled farming, millet cultivation, irrigation and farmers’ welfare schemes.
