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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday criticized the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the Lok Sabha over its opposition to the three-language policy, accusing the Tamil Nadu government of creating a “political mess” and denying children their “right to learn.”
Speaking in Parliament, Sitharaman defended the National Education Policy (NEP) and rejected DMK’s claims that the policy was an attempt to impose Hindi on the state. “The NEP actually states that students should learn in their mother tongue till Class 5, preferably till Class 8, and even better if continued till intermediate levels. However, the DMK wants to create a false narrative that Hindi is being imposed,” she said.
Sitharaman backed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who on Monday had described DMK’s protests as “uncivilised.” She added, “The Education Minister probably meant that the way the DMK is protesting is uncivilised.”
Recalling her personal experiences in Tamil Nadu, Sitharaman claimed that people who learn Hindi or Sanskrit are often targeted in the state. “I lived in Tamil Nadu where, if you learn Hindi and Sanskrit, you are targeted,” she said. She also referred to a past statement by an unnamed Dravidian leader, quoting an old magazine article that allegedly claimed, “If you learn Tamil, even a beggar cannot survive.”
INDIA bloc staged walkout
In response to Sitharaman’s remarks, members of the INDIA bloc staged a walkout from the Parliament. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized Sitharaman, accusing her of showing Tamil Nadu in a bad light by presenting selective data. “Union Ministers have repeatedly attempted to defame opposition-ruled states through selective statistics. In protest, we walked out,” he said.
Congress MP KC Venugopal also condemned the Finance Minister’s statement, calling it part of a pattern of attacks against Tamil Nadu. “Insulting states like Tamil Nadu has now become routine for Union Ministers. This is unacceptable,” he stated.
The controversy follows Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks on Monday, where he accused Tamil Nadu’s government and opposition MPs of being “liars” and “uncivilised.” The remarks were made in the context of the Centre withholding over Rs 2,000 crore in funds for Tamil Nadu’s schools, which the state has refused to accept due to its opposition to the NEP’s three-language policy. Though Pradhan later withdrew his words, DMK leaders condemned his statements as “undemocratic and unparliamentary.” DMK MP Kanimozhi reiterated that the Tamil Nadu government has consistently opposed the policy and has not changed its stance.
The debate over the three-language policy continues to remain a contentious issue, with the Tamil Nadu government maintaining its long-standing opposition to what it sees as an imposition of Hindi by the Centre.
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