Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, while speaking at the Chengalpattu government welfare assistance distribution ceremony on Tuesday, firmly rejected the National Education Policy (NEP) and strongly criticized Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s comments about the state.
Stalin accused the central government of using pressure tactics that could severely harm Tamil Nadu’s education system. He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s economic progress, stating, “Tamil Nadu has become the second most economically developed state in India. In the last three years, more than ₹10 lakh crore in private investments have been secured. Without the hurdles imposed, our growth would have been even better.”
The Chief Minister condemned Pradhan’s statement in Parliament, where the Union Minister suggested that ₹2,000 crore in funds would only be released to Tamil Nadu if the state accepted the three-language policy, including Hindi and Sanskrit. Stalin called this demand “rude” and accused the central government of “blackmailing” the state.
“In the name of the National Education Policy, they impose policies aimed at destroying Tamil Nadu’s education system. Their plan is to privatize education, reserve higher education for the wealthy, mix education with religion, and introduce public exams for even small children. NEET-like entrance exams for arts, science, and engineering students would shift more educational control to the Union government,” Stalin said.
He made it clear that Tamil Nadu would never accept the NEP: “Not only ₹2,000 crore — even if you offer ₹1 lakh crore, we will not accept this hazardous NEP scheme.”
Stalin also addressed Dharmendra Pradhan’s controversial remarks allegedly calling Tamils “uncivilized.” He praised Tamil Nadu’s MPs for their swift and strong response in Parliament, which forced Pradhan to withdraw his words. “Our MPs showed that they come from the legacy of Karunanidhi and fight for Tamil Nadu’s rights without fear,” he added.
Earlier in the day, DMK MPs staged a protest outside Parliament against the three-language policy, continuing their opposition to what they see as an attempt to impose Hindi and undermine Tamil Nadu’s educational autonomy.
