Budget 2021: Nirmala recites once again from Thirukural; Stalin reminds her of another one on kings

New Delhi, Feb 01: For the second year in a row,Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday recited acouplet from the Tamil classic Thirukkural during her budgetspeech, on the characteristics of a ruler who creates wealth.

Last year too, she had recited from the popular classic,penned by saint poet Thiruvalluvar.

Thirukkural is considered the gold standard of variousprinciples of life by the Tamil people.

However, ruling BJP's bitter critic in Tamil Nadu, DMKchief M K Stalin took a dig at Sitharaman and said she hadfailed to take into account a different 'kural' that defines aking, including the need for compassion.

In her 110-minute long speech, the union minister quotedthe Tamil kural ''iyatralum eettalun kathalum katha vaguthalumvalla arasu,'' and went onto explain what it meant.

''A king or a ruler is one who creates or acquires wealth,protects and distributes it for common good,'' Sitharaman, whoread out her budget speech from a tablet, said.

Last year too, she had read out a couplet fromThirukkural that says the five aspects-- good health, wealth,increased produce, happiness and safety are key for a countryand went on to say that key NDA initiatives, includingAyushman Bharat scheme were five jewels of the country.

However, DMK President Stalin, who was critical of theunion budget, saying it offered an ''illusionary lollipop'' tothe poll-bound Tamil Nadu, pointed out to her about anothercouplet from the classic that defines a ruler.

''It is regrettable she did not consider the kural whichsays delivering (to people) what is required for a good life,being compassionate, giving a just rule and safeguardingcitizens brings more laurels to a government,'' he said,referring to the kural ''kodayali sengol kudi ombal nangumudaiyanam ventharku oli.''