CHENNAI – On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, expelled AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam (OPS) strongly criticized the BJP-led Union government for not sending Tamil Nadu ₹2,151 crore in money under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. The Centre’s decision is said to be because the state administration has refused to accept the three-language formula set out by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
OPS, who ran as an independent candidate for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and lost, made a strong protest against the Centre’s plan. “Not giving money for this reason hurts the education of innocent, underprivileged, and needy children and teachers. OPS said, “This is strongly condemned.” He went on to say, “This action by the central government goes against the Right to Education (RTE) Act and the idea of federalism…The way the Central Government has handled things has made it so that 25% of pupils can’t go to private schools under the RTE…
The Government of India’s Ministry of Education runs the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, which is a program for all levels of school education from preschool to class XII. It wants to make sure that everyone gets a good education, that students do well in school, and that social and gender inequities are closed. The plan follows the advice given in NEP 2020.
The three-language formula, which was initially suggested in 1968 and then again in NEP 2020, usually says that students should learn their regional language or mother tongue, Hindi (if they don’t speak Hindi), or another Indian language (if they do speak Hindi), as well as English or any modern European language. The Tamil Nadu administration, on the other hand, has always had a two-language policy (Tamil and English) and has opposed the use of Hindi. This is because there have been decades of protests against Hindi in the state. The state sees the three-language formula as an indirect way to bring in Hindi and a breach of the state’s right to control education, which is a concurrent issue.
OPS’s denunciation is a big change from his previous position, as he has been seen as a strong supporter of the BJP since he broke away from V.K. Sasikala in 2017. Reports say that OPS has been getting more and more unhappy with the NDA because he feels like he isn’t being treated with respect. This is especially true after he wasn’t able to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent two-day trip to Tamil Nadu (July 26-28), but AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) did. An expelled AIADMK leader who is close to OPS said anonymously, “Some of us told him to stay independent and not join the BJP a long time ago last year.”
OPS’s speech on Tuesday has prompted to rumors regarding his political future, including the chance that he could join actor Vijay’s own party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). But the unidentified leader said, “As a former chief minister, it is better for OPS to run on his own with anyone who wants to work with us.”
The political situation in Tamil Nadu has changed a lot since EPS kicked OPS out of the AIADMK in 2022. Last year, another expelled AIADMK leader, T.T.V. Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), joined the NDA. The AIADMK had left the BJP in 2023, but they rejoined the NDA in April of this year.
When asked about OPS’s attempt to meet the PM, BJP state president Nainar Nagendran said he didn’t know about it. He didn’t respond directly to OPS’s claim that central funding were being withheld.