"Nobody needs to study a third language; please throw it in dustbin": DMK slams BJP on NEP

Speaking to ANI, Annadurai said, "Nobody needs to study a third language. The BJP is trying to trivialise this issue. It will be good for the students of this entire country if the BJP scraps the third language. People in North India don't even study two languages. Why is Annamalai hell-bent on imposing a third language on the students?"

Annadurai accused the BJP of imposing a third language as part of a "sinister agenda" to exclude Tamil Nadu students from the education system.

"There is a sinister agenda behind this. They want to find ways to filter out the Tamil Nadu students from the education system. The RSS doesn't want the Indian masses to be educated. They want all these people to be trained in vocational courses. They want plumbers, carpenters, cobblers. Please consign this third language to the dustbin," Annadurai said.

Earlier today, Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao criticised the BJP-led central government over the imposition of Hindi and delimitation, saying it was an injustice to South India. He urged all parties to unite against these issues and support the efforts of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao said, "He has been saying that the Hindi imposition and delimitation are just to serve North India and unfair to South India. All parties should unite against these matters. Delimitation will lessen our MP seats. This is the work of the saffron party. Everyone should support the good work that Stalin is doing on this issue."

On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on criticised the central government, labelling the National Education Policy (NEP) as a "saffronise policy" aimed at promoting Hindi rather than developing India, alleging that the policy threatens to destroy Tamil Nadu's education system.

"National Education Policy is not education policy, it is saffronise policy. The policy was not created to develop India but to develop Hindi. We are opposing the Policy as that would destroy the Tamil Nadu education system completely," CM Stalin said in Tiruvallur.

Stalin accused the central government of withholding funds to coerce the state into accepting the NEP.

"We are asking for your tax share, which we paid with our efforts. What is the problem with this? Is it fair to threaten without releasing funds for the welfare of 43 lakh schools? As we didn't accept NEP, they are refusing to release funds that belong to Tamil Nadu. We would have welcomed the scheme if it brought everyone into education. But is NEP like that? NEP has all the factors that remove people from education. This is how this policy is, and that's why we are opposing it," he added.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has denied allegations of Hindi imposition, stating that the policy allows states to choose their own languages.

On Tuesday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan challenged the DMK government in Tamil Nadu over the three-language policy and NEP, accusing MK Stalin of using the issue as a diversion.

"I stand by my statement made in the Parliament and am sharing the consent letter from Tamil Nadu School Education Department dated 15th March 2024. DMK MPs and Hon'ble CM can stack lies as high as they want, but the truth does not bother knocking when it comes crashing down. The DMK dispensation led by Hon'ble CM Stalin has a lot to answer to the people of Tamil Nadu. Raking the language issue as a diversionary tactic and denying facts as per their convenience will not shield their governance and welfare deficit," he posted on X. (ANI)