Amid the ongoing language row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday. While addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Rameshwaram, after inaugurating India’s vertical sea lift bridge, New Pambam Bridge, PM Modi said that although he receives letters from Tamil Nadu politicians, but none of them bear their signatures in Tamil. If they are truly proud of their language, they should at least sign their names in Tamil, the Prime Minister expressed sarcastically without taking names.

“The government is constantly working to ensure that the Tamil language and Tamil heritage reach every corner of the world. Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu — none of them are signed in Tamil. If we are proud of Tamil, then I would request everyone to at least sign their name in Tamil,” PM Modi expressed.

PM Modi suggests medical courses should be started in Tamil language

The Prime Minister also suggested the state government to introduce medical courses in the Tamil language for underprivileged students.

“I would urge the Tamil Nadu government to start medical courses in the Tamil language so that even the children of poor families can fulfil their dream of becoming doctors. Our effort is to ensure that the youth of our country do not have to go abroad to become doctors. In the last 10 years, Tamil Nadu has got 11 new medical colleges,” he said.

Dispute between Tamil Nadu and Centre on Hindi imposition

A war of words has been going on between the MK Stalin-led DMK government and the Central government for quite some time now regarding imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states like Tamil Nadu. The southern state has accused the BJP government at the Centre of “trying to impose Hindi” through the New Education Policy (NEP)’s three-language formula. Tamil Nadu leaders including CM Stalin feel that this is a threat to Tamil language and culture.

Chief Minister Stalin has raised concerns that the policy gives more importance to Hindi over regional languages, which he believes affects the state’s linguistic identity and autonomy. The central government, however, says that NEP encourages multilingualism and allows flexibility in language education. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has denied that Hindi is being imposed, stating that states have the freedom to choose their languages under the policy.

Tamil Nadu alleges Centre withheld funds meant for the state

The dispute started after the central government withheld Rs 2,152 crore meant for Tamil Nadu’s Samagra Shiksha scheme, citing the state’s refusal to implement NEP. Tamil Nadu has historically opposed the three-language formula, considering it a step toward promoting Hindi, while the central government argues that the policy is intended to give students better access to job opportunities across the country.

Dismissing the allegations by Tamil Nadu, PM Modi asserted that fund allocation from the Centre has seen a significant increase under the BJP-led NDA government, and that the state has benefited from several central schemes.