In an escalation of the three language row, the MK Stalin government in Tamil Nadu has replaced the rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil letter for "Ru" in the state Bugdet logo.
The new logo was part of a pre-Budget video posted by chief minister Stalin on his X handle along with the caption: "Ensuring widespread development of Tamil Nadu to benefit all sections of society."
READ: 1, 2 or 3? Why language is a ticking time bomb in Tamil Nadu amid Hindi pushback
The budget 2025-26 is set to be presented in the Tamil Nadu assembly on March 14.
The BJP lashed out at the Stalin government for dropping the rupee symbol, pointing out that it was designed by the son of former DMK MLA.
"Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam is an Indian academic and designer, son of a former DMK MLA, who designed the Indian rupee (₹) sign, which was accepted by Bharat. Chief Minister MK Stalin is insulting Tamilians by dropping the ₹ sign from the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 document. Just how ridiculous can one get?" BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said on X.
The rupee symbol was designed by Dharmalingam in 2010, who hails from Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi.
The design is based on the Devanagari letter 'र' and has a double horizontal line at the top half.
The latest move comes amid a serious pushback from the Stalin government over the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
The formula in NEP 2020 recommends that students learn three languages, at least two of which must be native Indian languages. It applies to both government and private schools, giving states the flexibility to choose languages without any imposition. According to policy rules, states must comply with NEP guidelines to receive SSA funding, of which 60 per cent is provided by the Centre to states like Tamil Nadu.
The NEP has stated that the medium of instruction will be home language, mother tongue, local language or regional language until at least class 5 but preferably till class 8 and beyond.
However, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has strongly opposed the formula and has been at loggerheads with the Centre over the implementation of the new National Education Policy.
Tamil Nadu has historically opposed the three-language formula. In 1937, the then Madras government, headed by C Rajagopalachari, introduced compulsory Hindi in schools. This move sparked widespread protests by the Justice Party and Dravidian leaders like Periyar. The policy was revoked in 1940, but anti-Hindi sentiments persisted.
(With inputs from PTI)
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