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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday vehemently opposed the National Education Policy's (NEP) three-language formula and said that it will not be imposed in the state "as long as DMK is in power."
Speaking with ANI, the Chief Minister further asserted confidence in the victory of the party in the upcoming assembly polls. "As long as the DMK is in power, we will not allow the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu. The chances of victory look excellent. We will win all 234 constituencies," he said. Earlier on Saturday, CM MK Stalin issued a scathing rebuttal to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing his recent statement on X as "deeply irresponsible" and accusing the Centre of "weaponising" education funds to coerce states into accepting "Hindi imposition." In a detailed post on X, Stalin firmly rejected the National Education Policy's (NEP) three-language formula and accused the Union Government of "illegally" withholding Rs 2,200 crore under the Samagra Shiksha scheme to penalise Tamil Nadu. "@dpradhanbjp Your remarks are deeply irresponsible and reckless, and reflect an entrenched disregard for India's plurality, federal values, and respect for states. Tamil Nadu firmly rejects the three-language policy. This is not about opposing languages, but about resisting imposition and defending Constitutional rights," Stalin stated. The Chief Minister dismissed the Union Minister's claim that there is no Hindi imposition as "plainly dishonest," arguing that tying crucial education funding to policy compliance removes any element of choice. "The claim that there is 'no Hindi imposition" is plainly dishonest. When a policy structurally corners non-Hindi speaking states like Tamil Nadu into adopting a third language with little real choice, and when crucial education funding is tied to compliance, it ceases to be a matter of choice," he said. "It is nothing short of audacity to illegally withhold a humongous sum of Rs 2,200 crore under the 'Samagra Shiksha' Scheme, effectively penalising Tamil Nadu for refusing to accept Hindi imposition. These are not discretionary grants, but funds that rightfully belong to the people of Tamil Nadu, collected through taxes; they cannot be weaponised as a tool of coercion," the CM added. Stalin remarked that Tamil Nadu will not accept language imposition under any circumstances, whether disguised as flexibility, backed by financial pressure, or projected as national interest. This policy attempts to dilute India's linguistic diversity into a monochromatic, homogenised 'One India' framework. This comes after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday accused the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the DMK government of using the "Hindi imposition" narrative as a "facade" to mask administrative failures and deprive students of educational equity. (ANI)
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