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Tamil Nadu Budget: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan accused the BJP-led Centre of having “cheated” Tamil Nadu of Rs 2,150 crore in funds for the Samagra Shiksha scheme.
Tamil Nadu FInance Minister Thangam Thennarasu presented the State Budget.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan continued the ongoing debate over the National Education Policy’s three-language formula during his budget speech in the Assembly. The Minister’s remarks referenced the ongoing language row between the DMK and BJP, as he asserted DMK’s opposition to ‘Hindi imposition’.
Palanivel Thiagarajan accused the BJP-led Centre of having “cheated” Tamil Nadu of Rs 2,150 crore in funds for the Samagra Shiksha scheme. The minister stated that the central government is refusing to release the funds until the state withdraws its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP).
The Finance Minister defended the state’s two-language policy, asserting that it has been instrumental in the achievements of Tamil people globally. He further emphasized that this policy has significantly contributed to the progress of Tamil Nadu.
The two-language policy “has taken us to greater heights… Tamils achieve globally because of this”.
MK Stalin Government Replaces Rupee Symbol With Tamil Letter
Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK, led by M K Stalin, has taken a bold stance against the NEP. In a symbolic move, the state government has replaced the official Indian rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil letter ‘Ru’ in its 2025-26 Budget.
The Tamil letter originates from the word ‘rubai’, meaning rupees in Tamil. This unprecedented action marks the first time a state has rejected the national currency symbol, signifying a new level of resistance against the NEP.
DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai said, “We have put the Tamil word for Rupees. This is not a showdown, there is nothing illegal about it. We will prioritise Tamil, that is why the government went ahead with this.”
“I just asked them to promote Tamil properly. Tamil Nadu is continuously performing well in the education sector. People are not migrating to North India from here, they are going to the US and the UK. BJP is not able to digest this,” he added.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the move is “secessionist” and signals a “dangerous mindset to weaken Indian unity under the pretext of regional pride”.
- Location :
Tamil Nadu, India, India
