Lagatar24 Desk
Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan took a sharp dig at the BJP-led central government during his 2025-26 budget speech on Friday, accusing it of withholding ₹2,150 crore meant for the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The remarks came amid the ongoing dispute between the DMK and BJP over the National Education Policy (NEP) and Hindi imposition.
While the BJP boycotted the budget session, the AIADMK staged a walkout after being barred from raising corruption allegations related to the state’s liquor sales unit.
Tamil Nadu’s Two-Language Policy vs NEP’s Three-Language Formula
Finance Minister Thiagarajan reaffirmed Tamil Nadu’s commitment to its two-language policy, stating:
“The policy has taken us to greater heights. Tamils achieve globally because of this.”
The DMK government has long opposed the NEP’s three-language formula, which mandates students to learn a third language (besides their mother tongue and English). The party argues that Tamil Nadu, the second-largest contributor to the Indian economy, has flourished with its current system, making an additional language unnecessary.
However, the BJP defends the NEP, claiming that the policy does not force students to learn Hindi and that a third language would benefit those who move to other states for jobs or education.
Centre’s Alleged ‘Blackmail’ Over Education Funds
Thiagarajan’s statement referred to a remark by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who allegedly warned that Samagra Shiksha funds would not be released unless Tamil Nadu withdrew its objections to the NEP.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had called this a “blackmail tactic”, leading to heated exchanges between the DMK and BJP.
Dr. Thiagarajan assured that Tamil Nadu would cover the shortfall from its own budget, emphasizing that the state would not succumb to the Centre’s pressure tactics.
Rupee Symbol Controversy: DMK vs BJP
The ongoing language war escalated further when Tamil Nadu replaced the rupee (₹) symbol with the Tamil letter ‘Ru’ in its budget promotional material.
The Re symbol, introduced in 2010, was partly based on the Devanagari script, which BJP critics claim links it to Hindi.
The move triggered sharp criticism from the BJP, with its state unit chief K. Annamalai calling Chief Minister Stalin “stupid” for not realizing that the ₹ symbol was designed by a Tamilian—D. Udaya Kumar.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman termed the move “secessionist”, accusing the DMK of attempting to weaken national unity under the pretext of regional pride.
The DMK defended its decision, stating that prioritizing Tamil was not illegal, and insisted that the change was not meant to provoke a showdown with the Centre.
Delimitation Debate: South vs North Representation in Parliament
The DMK has also intensified its opposition to the BJP-led Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, which they argue is another form of ‘Hindi imposition’.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has called on leaders from seven non-BJP ruled states, including West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee and Punjab’s Bhagwant Mann, to form a Joint Action Committee against the move.
Senior DMK leaders have already met with ex-Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, urging them to oppose delimitation.
Key concern: The DMK fears that delimitation based on population data will reduce parliamentary representationfor states that have effectively controlled their population—primarily in South India—while increasing seats for northern states, which are BJP strongholds.
While Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured that southern states won’t lose a single seat, the DMK countered, saying he did not confirm whether northern states would gain more seats, further tilting political power towards Hindi-speaking regions.
