Union Minister for Coal and Mines, G Kishan Reddy, has challenged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to explain what his government has done to promote the Tamil language in the past five years.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Reddy accused the DMK party and Stalin of creating a divisive debate over the past two months. He claimed they were unfairly blaming the central government for alleged injustices against South India.
He criticized the DMK’s stance on issues such as the National Education Policy and the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, calling it politically motivated. He stated that these positions indicate the political weakness of both the DMK and Congress.
According to Reddy, the DMK is worried about losing the upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu, which are set to take place in six months. He alleged that the public is unhappy with the DMK government due to corruption, exploitation, and dictatorship-like rule by Stalin’s family. He also accused the DMK of being involved in a liquor scam and said they were using political drama to distract people from these issues.
The minister further argued that the National Education Policy is not a new concept. He pointed out that it was first introduced in 1986 when the Congress and DMK were allies, and there was no opposition to it at the time. He also mentioned that the Modi government has promoted local languages and has never imposed Hindi on any state.
Reddy criticized Chief Minister Stalin for making a big issue out of language policies right before elections. He also accused the DMK of modifying the rupee logo, which was originally designed when Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister. He said this change shows the desperation of the Congress and its allies.
He also questioned whether Tamil Nadu would reject the rupee designed by the Reserve Bank of India. He emphasized that people are free to speak and learn any language they choose and that Hindi has never been forced on anyone. He warned that Congress and DMK were creating unnecessary disputes for political gain.
Reddy reminded the public that the three-language policy has existed since 1968 and that the Modi government’s education policy introduced in 2020 does not force anyone to learn a specific language. He accused the Congress and DMK of stirring unrest whenever they face political challenges.
He also pointed out that education was placed under the concurrent list during the Emergency by Indira Gandhi. He questioned whether the Congress party is against the Hindi language and highlighted that the Modi government has taken several steps to promote Tamil in the last ten years.
Finally, Reddy asked what Stalin had done to promote Tamil over the last four and a half years. He noted that the Modi government has declared the birth anniversary of Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi as National Language Day. He also mentioned that Prime Minister Modi honored ‘Sengol,’ an ancient Tamil cultural symbol, in the new Parliament building. He concluded by saying that the DMK does not need to lecture them on respecting Tamil culture.
