DMK MP Kanimozhi on Wednesday strongly criticized Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his remarks on Tamil Nadu’s consent for the establishment of PM SHRI schools, asserting that the state government had not accepted the National Education Policy (NEP) or the three-language policy in full.
In a response on X, Kanimozhi clarified that Tamil Nadu’s consent letter to the PM SHRI schools made it clear that the state would only accept the program based on recommendations from a state government-led committee, not the Union Government. She stated, “Nowhere in the letter have we mentioned accepting the three-language policy or NEP in its entirety. Whatever is acceptable for Tamil Nadu, we will accept—nothing more, nothing less. Stop twisting facts.”
Earlier, Dharmendra Pradhan had shared a letter from the Tamil Nadu School Education Department dated March 15, 2024, which he claimed showed the state’s consent for the PM SHRI Schools. In response, he accused DMK MPs and Chief Minister Stalin of misleading Parliament regarding Tamil Nadu’s stance on the issue. “I stand by my statement and am sharing the consent letter,” Pradhan said in his post on X.
Pradhan further criticized the DMK for using the language issue as a “diversionary tactic,” accusing the party of distorting facts and political motives. He remarked, “Why this sudden change of stance on NEP? Definitely for political brownie points and reviving DMK’s political fortunes.” He added, “This retrograde politics of DMK is a great disservice to the bright future of Tamil Nadu and its students.”
Meanwhile, MDMK MP Durai Vaiko responded to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s comments on the three-language policy, defending the legacy of social reformer Periyar and criticizing Sitharaman for politicizing the issue. “Periyar never demeaned the Tamil language… no one can question Periyar’s love and sacrifice for Tamil society,” Vaiko said, urging the senior politician to focus on more pressing issues.
This came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized the DMK government for opposing the three-language policy, accusing them of denying children in Tamil Nadu their right to learn. In her speech in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman backed Pradhan’s remarks, clarifying that the NEP encourages learning in the mother tongue, countering the DMK’s objections that it imposes Hindi on students.
