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The Tamil Nadu government has replaced the rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil letter for ‘Ru’ in its state budget logo for the financial year 2025-26, intensifying an ongoing language dispute with the Centre. The move has sparked a political storm, with the BJP slamming Chief Minister MK Stalin for rejecting a national symbol.
The logo, which appeared in a pre-budget video shared by Stalin on X, features the Tamil letter ‘Ru’ from Rubaai, the Tamil word for rupee, instead of the rupee symbol. The budget is set to be presented in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on March 14.
The decision comes as part of the DMK-led government’s strong opposition to what it calls the “imposition of Hindi” by the BJP-led central government, particularly through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP promotes a three-language formula, which Tamil Nadu has resisted for decades, arguing that it threatens the primacy of Tamil.
BJP Slams, Calls it ‘Ridiculous’
The replacement of the rupee symbol has drawn sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who accused Stalin of political theatrics and questioned the rationale behind rejecting a symbol designed by a Tamilian.
BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai took a direct swipe at Stalin, saying, “The DMK government’s budget replaces the rupee symbol, which was designed by a Tamilian and adopted by the whole of Bharat. How stupid can you become, Mr. MK Stalin?”
The rupee symbol, officially adopted in 2010, was designed by Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam, a professor at IIT Guwahati and son of a former DMK MLA. BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya also criticized the move, stating, “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?”
DMK’s Strong Anti-Hindi Stand
Tamil Nadu has a long history of resisting Hindi imposition, dating back to the anti-Hindi agitations of the 1930s and 1960s. The DMK has been at the forefront of this battle, and Stalin has repeatedly taken jabs at the Centre over its push for Hindi.
On March 7, Stalin made a fiery remark against the BJP government, declaring, “Tamil Nadu will not tolerate Hindi colonialism replacing British colonialism.” He accused Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of provoking the state by insisting on the acceptance of Hindi.
In a social media post, Stalin further asserted, “History is clear. Those who tried to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu have either been defeated or later aligned with the DMK. From the names of schemes to awards and government institutions, Hindi is being imposed to a nauseating extent. Tamil Nadu will resist this oppression.”
The rupee symbol controversy is the latest flashpoint in Tamil Nadu’s long-standing linguistic and political battle with the Centre. The NEP 2020 recommends a three-language policy in schools, with at least two Indian languages. However, Tamil Nadu has consistently followed a two-language system, Tamil and English, and views the policy as an indirect way to push Hindi into the state’s education system.
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