'Control your tongue...'CM Stalin hits back at Union Minister over remarks in Lok Sabha

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin slammed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after he referred to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as "undemocratic and uncivilised" during his speech in Parliament on Monday. The Union Minister's remarks ignited a fresh political controversy, deepening the rift between the Centre and Tamil Nadu over the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language policy.

Reacting to Pradhan’s statement, Stalin said, "Dharmendra Pradhan should control his tongue. You are insulting Tamilians. Does the PM accept your behaviour?"

He further added, "The Union Education Minister speaks arrogantly, thinking himself a king. He needs to be disciplined! Are you saying that you can be rude to Tamil Nadu MPs by cheating them and not giving them funds? You are insulting the people of Tamil Nadu. Honourable Prime Minister, do they accept this?"

Stalin also questioned Pradhan’s stance on the National Education Policy (NEP), stating, "Isn’t it you who sent a letter saying that the Tamil Nadu government rejected the MoU for PM SHRI over the NEP [National Education Policy] and the three-language policy.”

Chief Minister Stalin slammed Pradhan accusing the latter of withholding funds and insulting Tamil Nadu MPs. He rejected the NEP and three-language policy, saying they only act on people’s sentiments, not Nagpur’s orders. He demanded the release of Tamil Nadu’s rightful funds.

"Mr. Pradhan, we only respect the thoughts of the people and act accordingly! Not to the orders from Nagpur!! We have not come forward to implement your plan, and no one can force me to do so. Just answer whether it is possible to release the funds for Tamil Nadu students and the taxes collected from us!" he asserted.

The dispute arose during discussions on the National Education Policy (NEP), particularly its emphasis on the three-language formula, which Tamil Nadu has staunchly opposed. 

Pradhan accuses Tamil Nadu Government of 'dishonesty'

Dharmendra Pradhan, speaking in Lok Sabha on Monday, criticised the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government over the implementation of the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. He accused the state government of backtracking on its commitment.

"The Tamil Nadu government had initially agreed to sign the MoU. But now they have changed their stance. Many non-BJP-ruled states, including Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, have signed the agreement," Pradhan said during the Parliament’s Budget Session.

He went on to allege, "They are dishonest, and they are ruining the future of the students of Tamil Nadu. They are doing politics."

Protests in Parliament over Pradhan's remarks

Kanimozhi condemned Pradhan’s remarks as disrespectful, accusing him of attacking the dignity of Tamil Nadu.

"Union Education Minister called our government, people, and Parliamentarians from Tamil Nadu liars. He hurt our feelings and Tamil Nadu's pride by calling us uncivilised... we condemn this strongly," she declared.

Pradhan’s statements led to strong protests from DMK MPs, who raised slogans against the Centre. The DMK staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha, protesting not only against the three-language policy but also delimitation concerns.The Speaker, Om Birla, urged the members to return to their seats and allow the House to function normally. However, as the protests continued, the proceedings were adjourned for about 30 minutes.

Tamil Nadu's opposition to NEP

Kanimozhi reiterated that Tamil Nadu has made its position clear on rejecting the NEP due to the three-language policy, which the state does not accept.

"In our meeting, we had clearly said that we have issues with the NEP, and we cannot accept it in full because the three-language policy is not acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu," she explained.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament, Kanimozhi accused the Union government of withholding more than Rs 2,000 crore in school funds, allegedly conditioning the release of the funds on Tamil Nadu accepting the three-language policy under the NEP.

"The DMK MP raised the issue where the Union government has not released funds for Tamil Nadu, saying that unless the state government agrees to sign the NEP and the three-language policy, funds more than Rs 2,000 crores won't be released for the schools."

She also rejected Pradhan's claim that DMK MPs had agreed to sign the NEP.

"The (Union Education) Minister got up and said that MPs from Tamil Nadu and opposition parties had met him and agreed to sign NEP, which is far from the truth. Our CM has written to the (Union Education) Minister and PM that we won't be signing the NEP... our CM has made this very clear and we have not changed it."

The DMK government in Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the National Education Policy. Even the previous AIADMK government in the state had rejected the NEP’s three-language policy. DMK leaders argue that a common education policy for all states is not suitable.

Stalin, back in 2020, had criticised the NEP, stating that it prioritises Sanskrit over Tamil and other regional languages. The Tamil Nadu government follows a two-language policy and has firmly resisted any attempts to alter it.

(agency inputs)