Pawan Kalyan’s ‘Oppose Hindi But Dub Movies’ Jab At Tamil Nadu Adds Fresh Spark, Prakash Raj Reacts

Last Updated:March 15, 2025, 13:40 IST

Pawan Kalyan criticised Tamil Nadu politicians for opposing Hindi but allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gain. He called for embracing linguistic diversity in India.

Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan backed BJP in the language war between DMK and Centre. (PTI/File)

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Janasena Party chief Pawan Kalyan backed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the ongoing language, criticising Tamil Nadu politicians for opposing Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gain.

Kalyan’s remarks come in the wake of a huge language war between the MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government and the Centre. The DMK has accused the Hindi language in the state through the three-language formula as proposed in the new National Education Policy.

While commemorating the 11th formation day of his party on Friday, the actor-turned-politician called for the need to embrace linguistic diversity to maintain the integrity of the nation and foster love and unity among the people. “India needs multiple languages, including Tamil, and not just two,” he said.

Slamming the DMK government, Kalyan said, “I do not understand why some criticise Sanskrit. Why do Tamil Nadu politicians oppose Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gain? They want money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi—what kind of logic is that?”

During the event, Kalyan also called for debates on delimitation amid worries among some politicians who argue that some states will lose their MP seats in the Lok Sabha, while asserting his credentials as a Sanatan Dharma champion and his party’s success against several odds.

ALSO READ: Jabs Galore In Tamil Nadu Budget Speech Amid DMK Vs BJP Hindi Row: ‘Centre Cheated Us…’

BJP Lauds, Prakash Raj Frowns

Kalyan’s remarks were lauded by the BJP. Taking to X, former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “No dynast including @mkstalin’s posse of crooks, will and should be allowed to divide indians bcoz of their opportunistic politics. (sic).”

“This type of #INDIalliance divisive politics is only to distract people from asking the important questions – what did @arivalayam DMK to improve peoples and families lives in last 5 years ? NOTHING,” he added.

BJP spokesperson Rachna Reddy said Kalyan made it clear that multiple languages are needed to foster young minds. “Why does Tamil Nadu have this insecurity that no other state seems to have? We always had the three-language system in schools.”

“Why is Tamil Nadu okay with the children being trained in foreign languages like French and German and not Hindi? Do they think they are a separate state?” she added.

BJP leader Vikram Randhawa said Hindi was India’s national language and the government was working to ensure that the language reached the masses. “Unfortunately, the previous governments always tried to suppress the culture of nationalism…The use of Hindi should be implemented strongly in the South as well. People living in South India should think that they are earning crores of rupees from North India by dubbing movies in Hindi, but when it comes to speaking and teaching Hindi, they have problems,” he added.

However, actor-politician Prakash Raj slammed Kalyan’s remarks, saying, “To say ‘Don’t impose your Hindi language on us’ is not hating another language, it is ‘Protecting our mother tongue, our mother, with pride’. Please tell this to Pawan Kalyan, someone…”

MK Stalin Govt Replaces Rupee Symbol

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 move has sparked widespread criticism from the BJP.

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.

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”. Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Annamalai called it a “stupid” move by Stalin.

ALSO READ: What Is NEP 2020’s Three-Language Formula? How Tamil Nadu Has Protested Hindi Imposition For Years | Explained

DMK vs Centre In Parliament

The language row between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government intensified after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s recent remarks on Stalin’s opposition to the NEP during Question Hour in Parliament on Thursday.

Pradhan reportedly called the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government “dishonest” and accused them of “ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students” by refusing to implement the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. Stalin condemned his remarks and called them an “insult to the people of Tamil Nadu.”

Moreover, the delimitation row is the heart of the controversy, in which the Tamil Nadu government is apprehensive about losing the number of seats in the Parliament if the process is executed on the basis of the new population data.

(with agency inputs)

Location :

Andhra Pradesh, India, India