Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: The debate over the alleged imposition of a third language in Tamil Nadu as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) has escalated into a fierce battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling DMK alliance.
BJP State Chief K Annamalai claimed that the party’s pro-NEP signature campaign had received a strong response from the people of Tamil Nadu. In a post on X, Annamalai stated, “Thiru MK Stalin, our online signature campaign through http://puthiyakalvi.in is supported by over 2 lakh people within 36 hours, and our on-ground signature campaign continues to receive an overwhelming reception across TN. As the TN CM, you seem visibly rattled, and your rants against the signature campaign mean nothing to us.”
He further criticized Chief Minister MK Stalin, accusing the DMK of failing to conduct a successful signature campaign against NEET despite being in power. Annamalai remarked, “Despite being in power, you couldn’t carry out a signature campaign against NEET, and remember that your cadres had to throw the pamphlets in the dustbin after realizing where they truly belonged.”
Taking a swipe at Stalin’s opposition to the NEP and the alleged #HindiImposition, Annamalai added, “Thiru MK Stalin, stop swinging your paper word against the delusional Hindi imposition. Your fake Hindi imposition drama has already been exposed. It’s unfortunate that you haven’t realised it yet.”
Annamalai’s response came after MK Stalin mocked the BJP’s signature campaign, describing it as a “circus-like” exercise. In an earlier post on X, Stalin challenged the BJP to make the three-language formula a core issue in the 2026 Assembly elections, presenting it as a referendum on Hindi imposition.
Stalin wrote, “Now the BJP’s circus-like signature campaign for the three-language formula has become a laughing stock in Tamil Nadu. I challenge them to make this their core agenda in the 2026 Assembly elections and let it be a referendum on Hindi imposition. History is clear. Those who tried to impose Hindi on Tamil Nadu have either been defeated or later changed their stance and aligned with DMK.”
He also accused the Central government of enforcing Hindi through various schemes and institutions, stating, “From the names of schemes to awards to Union government institutions, Hindi has been imposed to a nauseating extent, suffocating non-Hindi speakers, who are the majority in India.” Stalin asserted that the DMK would continue to resist any attempts to impose Hindi in the state.
The war of words between the BJP and DMK reflects the deep-rooted resistance in Tamil Nadu against the perceived imposition of Hindi, a sentiment that has shaped the state’s politics for decades. As the battle over the NEP and language policy intensifies, the political landscape in Tamil Nadu is expected to witness more heated exchanges in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections.