Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi has strongly condemned Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s comments referring to the Tamil Nadu government, its people, and DMK MPs as “uncivilised.” Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Kanimozhi expressed her deep hurt over the minister’s remarks.
“I am very pained and hurt that the minister, in his reply in Parliament, has called the members of Parliament, the Tamil Nadu government, and the people of Tamil Nadu uncivilised,” Kanimozhi stated.
The controversy centers around the ongoing debate on the National Education Policy (NEP), specifically the three-language policy, which Tamil Nadu has staunchly opposed. Kanimozhi reaffirmed that Tamil Nadu made its position clear in discussions with the Union government.
“In our meeting, we clearly said we have issues with the NEP and cannot accept it in full because the three-language policy is not acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu,” she said.
She also noted that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had formally written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, outlining the state’s concerns and opposing the NEP. Despite this, she claimed, the Union government has withheld over Rs 2,000 crores in school funds, conditioning their release on the state’s acceptance of the three-language policy.
“The Union government has not released funds for Tamil Nadu, saying unless the state government agrees to sign the NEP and accept the three-language policy, funds over Rs 2,000 crores won’t be released for schools,” Kanimozhi said while addressing the media outside Parliament.
Kanimozhi also dismissed Pradhan’s statement that Tamil Nadu MPs had agreed to sign the NEP as false, adding that Chief Minister Stalin’s opposition to the policy remains firm and unchanged.
“Union Education Minister called our government, people, and Parliamentarians from Tamil Nadu liars. He hurt our feelings and Tamil Nadu’s pride by calling us uncivilised. We condemn this strongly,” she asserted.
The dispute intensified after Pradhan accused the DMK of playing politics at the cost of Tamil Nadu students’ future.
“They (DMK) are dishonest. They are not committed to the students of Tamil Nadu. They are ruining their future. Their only job is to raise language barriers and play politics. They are undemocratic and uncivilised,” Pradhan said in his Lok Sabha address.
Following the remarks, DMK MPs staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha, protesting not only against the three-language policy but also raising issues over delimitation.
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister JP Nadda criticized the opposition for frequent walkouts, accusing them of undermining parliamentary proceedings. Calling their behavior “irresponsible,” Nadda suggested that opposition members take a refresher course on parliamentary rules and regulations.
“It’s a vicious design to demean the institution of Parliament. The government is ready to discuss everything under the rules,” Nadda stated.
