All 59 DMK MLAs Reject Free Cars Offered by CM Vijay, Cite State's Debt Burden; Minister Aadhav Arjuna Hits Back

Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin told the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 21 that all 59 DMK MLAs had decided to decline the government vehicles Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had announced for all 234 legislators two days earlier, submitting a letter signed by the party's MLAs confirming the refusal.

Udhayanidhi said the DMK was declining the offer because the TVK government itself had repeatedly cited the state's heavy debt burden, and argued that free cars should be extended to legislators only after their election affidavits and financial status had been verified.

Responding, Minister Aadhav Arjuna said government vehicles for MLAs should not be viewed as a luxury, arguing that financially weaker, particularly first-time, legislators needed them to travel within their constituencies and attend to constituents' grievances.

Arjuna also turned the debate back on Udhayanidhi, asking why he continued to occupy a government bungalow despite owning three houses of his own, and said any decision on providing vehicles to MLAs would apply uniformly across parties rather than being restricted to particular legislators.