Contentious Clash Over NEP Sparks Political Uproar in Tamil Nadu

Congress MP K Suresh criticized India's National Education Policy, accusing the central government of bypassing state consultation and aiming to 'saffronise' education. Amidst controversy over the policy's language formula, tensions soared with Tamil Nadu's DMK, resulting in a heated exchange with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Congress MP K Suresh has launched a vehement critique of the central government's National Education Policy (NEP), accusing it of imposing the policy without proper consultation with state governments and academic experts. He argued that the government's underlying motive is to "saffronise" the educational structure.

Suresh further expressed solidarity with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in its resistance against the NEP, particularly criticizing the three-language framework. The DMK sees this as an attempt to enforce Hindi in Tamil Nadu, a state with a strong linguistic identity.

The debate escalated into a verbal confrontation on Monday, when Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan labelled the Tamil Nadu government as "dishonest" and its people "uncivilised." Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister MK Stalin retorted, condemning Pradhan's "arrogance" and the subsequent protest adjourned parliamentary proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies.)