Tamil Nadu Replaces Rupee Symbol in Budget, Sparks Political Row

DMK Accused of Challenging National Identity Amid Language War with Centre

March 13, 2025: Tamil Nadu’s DMK government has replaced the rupee symbol (₹) with a Tamil letter (Ru) in its 2025/26 budget promotional materials, triggering a fresh controversy between the state and BJP-led Centre. The move, which was highlighted after Chief Minister MK Stalin shared the budget logo on X, comes amid the state’s ongoing battle against the ‘imposition’ of Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP).

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🔹 Key Highlights:

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• 🔻 Symbol Swap: The rupee symbol was replaced with Tamil script in budget posters, unlike last year’s version.
• 🔻 DMK’s Justification: Party leaders maintain that the change is not illegal or political but a reflection of Tamil pride.
• 🔻 BJP’s Reaction: The BJP has condemned the move, accusing the DMK of separatism and diverting focus from governance failures.
• 🔻 Political Firestorm: BJP leader K Annamalai ridiculed the move, pointing out that the rupee symbol was designed by a former DMK MLA’s son.
• 🔻 Language Row: The move intensifies Tamil Nadu’s resistance against Hindi imposition, with Stalin declaring the NEP a “saffronisation policy”.

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🔻 DMK vs BJP Over Hindi Imposition

• Tamil Nadu follows a two-language policy (Tamil & English) and rejects the three-language formula under NEP.
• BJP argues that learning Hindi will benefit job-seekers in other states, but Stalin accuses the Centre of “Hindi colonialism”.
• The Centre threatened fund cuts of ₹2,150 crore if Tamil Nadu does not implement NEP.

📊 What’s Next?

With state elections approaching, this move fuels the DMK-BJP rivalry. Will Tamil Nadu’s linguistic pride clash with national economic policies, or is this just election-driven symbolism?

📢 Stay tuned for further developments.

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Tags:

Tamil Nadu budget, rupee symbol controversy, DMK vs BJP, Hindi imposition, National Education Policy, MK Stalin, Tamil Nadu elections, Tamil language pride, language politics