'Don't trigger another language war in TN': Udhayanidhi warns Centre
What's the story
Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has warned the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government against sparking another language war in the state. The warning came during a protest by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Chennai on Wednesday against the New Education Policy (NEP) and its Trilingual Language System. Stalin slammed Union Budget 2025 for ignoring Tamil Nadu and alleged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan conditioned fund release on Tamil Nadu's acceptance of this policy.
Budget criticism
Stalin criticizes Union Budget 2025, questions fund allocation
Stalin slammed the Union Budget 2025 for ignoring Tamil Nadu. He alleged that Pradhan had said funds would only be released if Tamil Nadu agreed to the Trilingual Language. "We didn't ask for our father's money; we have asked only for our Tax money and our rights," he said. The deputy CM called Tamil Nadu a "self-respected land" and cautioned against intimidating its people.
Policy advocacy
Stalin advocates for 2-language policy, warns of language war
Stalin reiterated Tamil Nadu's rejection of the Trilingual Language Policy, pushing for a two-language system instead. He believes this has allowed Tamils to shine across the world and emphasized that language and identity matter more than politics for Tamils. "We respect the Constitution and democracy and are democratically raising our voices," he said, cautioning that not respecting their rights could spark another language war.
Political unity
Stalin questions AIADMK's silence, calls for united opposition
Stalin also questioned the silence of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on this matter and urged them to join in opposing the NEP. He called for all political parties to unite against the trilingual policy imposed by the BJP-led Union Government. "If they want to impose Hindi again, I am saying now, not hundreds more than thousands of Tamils will sacrifice their lives for Tamil language," he warned.