DMK Chennai Mayor Priya has criticized Industries Minister Keerthana’s ongoing visit to South Korea, alleging that the public came to know about the minister’s foreign trip only through social media posts and questioning the TVK government’s commitment to transparency.
The remarks come amid Minister Keerthana’s visit to South Korea, her first overseas trip since the TVK government assumed office in Tamil Nadu. During the visit, the minister met senior officials of Hyundai Heavy Industries and reportedly held discussions regarding a proposed shipbuilding facility in Thoothukudi.
However, the visit has generated political attention after questions were raised over the absence of any official announcement regarding the trip. Information about the minister’s visit emerged only after photographs and videos were shared through her social media accounts.
Addressing reporters, Mayor Priya said that despite the significance of the visit, no formal communication had been issued by the government explaining its purpose, agenda or expected outcomes.
She remarked that discussions had recently been held regarding industrial investments allegedly leaving Tamil Nadu under the TVK government, while the Industries Minister appeared to be focused on producing social media content. Referring to Keerthana’s online posts, Priya said the minister had not only been sharing dance videos but had now suddenly surfaced in South Korea without any prior information being made available to the public.
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The Mayor argued that overseas visits undertaken by ministers for the purpose of attracting investments are typically accompanied by detailed announcements and interactions with the media. According to her, governments usually present investment plans, objectives and schedules before such visits take place.
She pointed out that in this case, no press briefing or official explanation had been issued and that the public learned about the trip only through the minister’s Instagram posts and reels.
Drawing a comparison with the previous DMK government, Priya said that whenever former Chief Minister MK Stalin travelled abroad to attract investments, detailed information was shared with journalists, including statistics and investment-related data. She described that approach as transparent governance and questioned whether the TVK government’s handling of the minister’s trip reflected the transparency it had promised before coming to power.
The Mayor further stated that the government had failed to issue even a basic announcement regarding the minister’s overseas visit and said that the public was entitled to know the purpose and expected outcomes of such official engagements.
Priya also used the opportunity to respond to recent allegations made by ruling party leaders regarding power outages and civic administration.
Rejecting attempts to link electricity-related issues with the Chennai Corporation, she said the Electricity Department and the Corporation function independently and have no administrative connection with one another.
She argued that electricity supply falls under the jurisdiction of the Electricity Department and not the Corporation, and therefore questions regarding power outages should be directed to the minister responsible for that department rather than civic authorities.
According to Priya, the ruling party has been attempting to blame the DMK and local body representatives for a range of issues simply because DMK members continue to hold positions in local government institutions.
She further pointed out that the Municipal Administration Department itself remains under the state government’s control and noted that the Chennai Corporation and the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board are separate entities with distinct responsibilities.
Questioning the government’s approach, Priya asked how it could be justified to blame the Chennai Corporation for issues that fall outside its jurisdiction.
ஒரு அமைச்சர் வெளிநாட்டு பயணம் மேற்கொள்வதற்கு முன் எதற்காக செல்கிறோம் என்று ஒரு ப்ரஸ் ரிலீஸ் கூட வெளியிடவில்லை, அவர்கள் ரீல்ஸ் போட்டு தான் வெளிநாடு சென்றதே தெரியும்..
தொழில்துறை அமைச்சரின் வெளிநாட்டு பயணம் குறித்து விமர்சித்த மேயர் பிரியா#Chennai | #DMK | #MayorPriya |… pic.twitter.com/6DuOEIGs5s
— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 9, 2026
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