Political Rift Widens Over Tamil Language Policy Remarks

The Trinamool Congress and Congress back DMK's demand for an apology from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his comments on Tamil Nadu's language policy. Tensions have escalated after Pradhan's remarks, which DMK claims undermine Tamil Nadu's interests and identity.

In a mounting political confrontation, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress parties have rallied behind the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (DMK) demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's apology, following his contentious remarks regarding Tamil Nadu's language policy.

Kalyan Banerjee, a prominent TMC leader, has strongly condemned Pradhan's comments, suggesting that consequences are necessary and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove him from his cabinet post. Banerjee highlighted the derogatory nature of the language allegedly used by Pradhan, insisting that it was an unexpected affront to Tamil Nadu's populace.

The Congress echoed this sentiment, with MP Karti Chidambaram reaffirming Tamil Nadu's commitment to its two-language curriculum, which incorporates Tamil as the mother tongue and English as a global link. Despite Pradhan retracting his remarks, Chidambaram insists an apology is mandatory. DMK MP Kanimozhi, with fellow MPs, staged protests against the National Education Policy in Parliament, accusing the government of imposing a Hindi-centric education agenda.

(With inputs from agencies.)