TIRUCHY: Accusing the Union government of showing “sudden affection” towards Tamil while withholding due funds to Tamil Nadu, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday said the Centre was attempting to impose Hindi through the New Education Policy (NEP) and linking the release of education funds to the adoption of the three-language policy.
Speaking after unveiling the statues of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and former Karanthai Tamil Sangam president S Ramanathan in Thanjavur, Udhayanidhi said the Union government had withheld around Rs 3,500 crore in education funds, insisting that the State follow the three-language policy.
He alleged that the Centre was using the NEP as a tool to enforce Hindi in Tamil Nadu. “Our CM has clearly said that even if the Union government offers Rs 10,000 crore, Tamil Nadu will not allow the imposition of Hindi or Sanskrit. The people of the State share the same sentiment,” he said.
Claiming that the State government was committed to promoting Tamil, Udhayanidhi said the Dravidian model government had been implementing several initiatives to develop the language. In contrast, he alleged that the Centre had prioritised Sanskrit, allocating around Rs 2,500 crore for its development over the past 10 years while earmarking only Rs 147 crore for Tamil.