New Delhi, March 13 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gourav Vallabh on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, accusing his government of undermining the Indian Constitution by replacing the Devanagari-script rupee symbol with the Tamil letter for rupee in the state's Budget documents.
Speaking to IANS, Vallabh said: "This act amounts to the neglect of the Indian Constitution. It also disregards the people of Tamil Nadu, considering that it was a Tamil who designed the official rupee symbol. Chief Minister Stalin seems unaware of this fact and is instead playing politics with India's sovereignty."
The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to replace the standard rupee symbol comes at a time when tensions between the state administration and the BJP-led Central government have escalated over the issue of "Hindi imposition".
The DMK has been a vocal critic of the National Education Policy (NEP), which promotes a three-language formula that the party argues would force the adoption of Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking states.
"While criticising the National Education Policy, he ends up showing contempt for the Indian rupee. The people of Tamil Nadu are closely watching his actions as he attempts to denigrate a symbol of national identity," Vallabh told IANS.
He further asserted that the BJP respects Tamil culture and language. "Let there be no doubt that as far as Tamil culture and language are concerned, no effort will be spared to protect and promote them. PM Modi himself holds Tamil heritage in the highest regard," Vallabh remarked.
Issuing a stern warning, Vallabh said, "The youth and people of Tamil Nadu will deliver a fitting reply to Chief Minister Stalin in the days to come.
Chief Minister Stalin has been a vocal critic of the NEP, particularly the three-language formula. He has argued that it is an attempt by the Centre to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states, a claim the Union government has repeatedly denied.
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