Amid Language Row, DMK Govt Replaces Rupee Symbol In Tamil Nadu State Budget; BJP Hits Out

Amid locking horns with the Centre over the three-language policy and delimitation, Tamil Nadu has replaced the rupee symbol in promotional material for the 2025 state budget with a Tamil symbol.

Tamil Nadu Drops 'Rs' Symbol

MK Stalin government has replaced the Rupee symbol 'Rs' for the Indian currency with the Tamil alphabet 'Ru' in state Budget logo. It has to be noted that last year's budget logo 25 carried the Indian currency symbol 'Rs.'

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu will present the budget in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday released a video in which the official logo for the state's 2025-26 Budget has been replaced. The development comes amid ongoing tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over the three-language policy proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

BJP Slams Tamil Nadu CM Stalin

BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai has come down heavily on the Tamil Nadu government, calling it a "stupid" move. He pointed out that the rupee symbol was designed by Thiru Udaya Kumar, a Tamilian and the son of a former DMK MLA.

"The DMK Government's State Budget for 2025-26 replaces the Rupee symbol designed by a Tamilian, which was adopted by the entire nation and incorporated into our currency. Thiru Udhay Kumar, who designed the symbol, is the son of a former DMK MLA. How stupid can you become, Thiru @mkstalin?" Annamalai said in a post on X.

Criticising the DMK government's decision to remove the rupee symbol, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said, "They have ruled Tamil Nadu for so many years and have presented the budget so many times; why do they want to dramatise it like this? They were in the centre for so many years why didn't they take this decision at that time?

It (Indian currency symbol ₹) is a federal setup, and they have to respect the national symbols. This does not mean we are against Tamil symbols or the Tamil language; we are in favour of it. I even have a Tamil name and MK Stalin does not... They are doing all this to deviate from the failures of the Tamil Nadu government... You are dramatising as if you are developing Tamil; you need to first develop Tamil Nadu."

Stalin Attacks Centre On Hindi Imposition

On Wednesday, CM Stalin attacked the Union Government, denouncing the NEP as a "saffronization policy". He has accused the BJP-led government of using the NEP to imposing Hindi rather than fostering national development. Speaking at an event in Tiruvallur, he accused the Centre of withholding funds to pressure the state into implementing the policy.

"The National Education Policy is not an education policy but a saffronization policy. It is designed not to develop India but to promote Hindi. We oppose this policy because it threatens to destroy Tamil Nadu's education system completely," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

He further alleged that the Centre was denying Tamil Nadu its rightful tax share as retaliation for rejecting the NEP.

"We are only asking for the tax share we rightfully paid with our hard work. What is wrong with that? Is it fair to threaten us by withholding funds meant for the welfare of 43 lakh school students? Because we rejected NEP, they are refusing to release funds meant for Tamil Nadu. Had the policy truly aimed at inclusive education, we would have welcomed it. But NEP is designed to exclude people from education. That is why we are opposing it," he asserted.

At the core of the dispute is the NEP's three-language formula, which Tamil Nadu fears will lead to the imposition of Hindi in the state's education system. Stalin argued that the policy prioritizes Hindi over regional languages, posing a threat to Tamil Nadu's linguistic diversity and autonomy.

The controversy adds to the ongoing friction between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Central government, particularly on issues related to language, education, and federal rights.