"Plainly dishonest": CM Stalin counters Dharmendra Pradhan's claims, asks how many North Indian schools teach Tamil

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 4 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday 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.

Stalin further challenged the Union Minister to provide data on the implementation of South Indian languages in Northern states and the appointment of Tamil teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas over the last decade.

"In the din of rhetoric, you must not evade basic questions. What third Indian language is actually being implemented in schools across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat? How many PM SHRI Schools genuinely offer South Indian languages such as Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu... in northern India? I challenge you to place on record how much the NDA government has spent on promoting classical languages like Tamil compared to Sanskrit," he asked.

"How many schools under the Kendriya Vidyalaya 'Sangathan' are actually teaching Tamil? How many Tamil and other South Indian language teachers have been appointed in the last 10 years?" Stalin asked.

Defending the state's educational standards, Stalin called the suggestion that Tamil Nadu lacks infrastructure "baseless," highlighting the state's success in science, technology, and medicine under its proven two-language policy.

He also mentioned the Chief Minister's Free Breakfast Scheme, which benefits over 20 lakh students, and the DMK's 2026 manifesto promise to extend it up to Class VIII, benefiting an additional 15 lakh students. "Public education remains our top priority, viewed not as expenditure but as a social investment generating long-term societal benefits," he added.

"Our opposition to Hindi imposition is not born out of fear. Our mother Tamil will never be weakened. Tamil and Tamils have endured and will continue to resist and survive every form of imposition or cultural intrusion. This is a matter of principle, dignity, and the preservation of India's true diversity," he said.

Tamil Nadu will not abandon its proven two-language policy, built on social consensus and strong educational outcomes," he added.

The Chief Minister concluded by challenging the Union Minister to advocate for the compulsory three-language policy on Tamil Nadu soil while seeking votes. He also called upon AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami to clarify his stand on the issue.

"I also call upon AIADMK General Secretary Thiru. Palaniswami and his NDA allies to clearly state their position. Do they support this aggressively pushed three-language policy of the BJP?" he asked.

"It is time for Thiru Palaniswami to make his stand unequivocally clear, whether he stands with the people of Tamil Nadu or with his Delhi bosses who seek to impose Hindi under the guise of policy," Stalin stated.

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.

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