BJP leader N Ramchander Rao on Wednesday slammed the DMK and CPM for their opposition to the three-language policy in the National Education Policy (NEP), accusing them of attempting to divide the country along regional and linguistic lines. Rao questioned the existence of any provision in the NEP that imposes Hindi or any other language, claiming that the parties were using the issue to stoke division.
Rao criticized the Kerala government for aligning with the DMK on the issue, saying that they were falsely claiming opposition to Hindi imposition while ignoring the broader three-language formula. He called these tactics “divisive” and “anti-national.”
“The regional parties like DMK and CPM are making language a major issue in southern politics. They want to divide the country into North and South, and Hindi and other languages. I ask, where in the NEP does it impose Hindi on anyone?” Rao stated.
The comments came amid escalating tensions between the central government and Tamil Nadu over the NEP, with Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin recently criticizing the Union government for its remarks on the state. Stalin vowed that Tamil Nadu would respond strongly to those who insulted them, particularly those accusing them of being “uncivilized.”
Further criticism came from Tamil Nadu’s Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan, who argued that the NEP could not be implemented due to a lack of funding and infrastructure, and accused the policy of being unsuitable for diverse educational needs across the country.
The controversy also sparked a defense of the three-language policy from BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai, who emphasized the national benefits of allowing students to learn a third language, alongside Tamil and English.
Chief Minister MK Stalin had earlier attacked the NEP as a “saffronized policy,” claiming it sought to promote Hindi at the expense of Tamil Nadu’s education system. However, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has denied allegations of Hindi imposition, stating that the NEP allows states to decide their own languages, and dismissed the controversy as a diversionary tactic by the DMK.