Chennai (Tamil Nadu), March 13: The Tamil Nadu government, led by MK Stalin, has stirred controversy by replacing the Indian Rupee symbol '₹' with the Tamil alphabet 'Ru' in the state budget logo for 2025-26. This change comes amid the ongoing language dispute between the state and the central government. The previous budget logo for the 2024-25 financial year featured the national currency symbol '₹.' However, the logo for the upcoming budget, set to be presented in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on March 14, now features the Tamil 'Ru' symbol instead.
On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin shared a video showcasing the new budget logo, which has sparked a fresh debate on the use of language and symbols. The move follows rising tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the central government, particularly over the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020.
Reacting to the decision, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai criticized the move, calling it "stupid." He pointed out that the Rupee symbol, which was designed by a Tamilian, Udhay Kumar, the son of a former DMK MLA, had been adopted by the entire nation. "The DMK government’s state budget for 2025-26 replaces the Rupee symbol designed by a Tamilian, which was adopted by all of Bharat and incorporated into our currency. How stupid can you become, Thiru @mkstalin?" Annamalai wrote in a tweet.
Earlier this week, CM Stalin also launched a fierce attack on the central government's NEP, labeling it a "saffronization policy" aimed at promoting Hindi at the expense of regional languages like Tamil. Stalin argued that the policy would undermine Tamil Nadu's education system and claimed it was designed not to develop India but to advance Hindi. "The National Education Policy is not an education policy; it is a saffronization policy. It is not created to develop India but to promote Hindi," Stalin said in a speech at Tiruvallur. "This policy will destroy Tamil Nadu’s education system, and we are opposing it."
The controversy centers around the NEP's three-language formula, which many in Tamil Nadu fear will force the state to adopt Hindi alongside English and the regional language. Stalin accused the central government of withholding funds to pressure the state into accepting the NEP, pointing out that Tamil Nadu had paid taxes and was entitled to its share of funds. He criticized the central government's refusal to release funds for Tamil Nadu’s welfare, including support for 43 lakh schools in the state. "We would have welcomed the scheme if it brought everyone into education, but the NEP excludes people from education," Stalin added.
The dispute over the NEP is rooted in fears that the policy prioritizes Hindi over regional languages like Tamil, threatening the state’s linguistic autonomy and cultural identity.
