Tamil Nadu News: On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin took aim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), urging the central government to take substantial actions to support the Tamil language instead of merely engaging in symbolic gestures, such as installing the Sengol in Parliament. He called for Tamil to be recognised as an official language and for an end to the imposition of Hindi in the state.

Stalin voiced his concerns on the social media platform X, questioning the BJP-led government's dedication to Tamil culture. He stated, "If the BJP's claim that our Hon'ble PM has great love for Tamil is true, why is it never reflected in action?"

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He further suggested that instead of installing the Sengol, the government should remove Hindi from Union offices in Tamil Nadu. "Instead of hollow praise, make Tamil an official language on par with Hindi and allocate more funds for Tamil than for a dead language like Sanskrit," he insisted. Stalin also condemned efforts to promote Sanskrit and Hindi in the state, arguing, "Stop the desperate attempts to saffronise Thiruvalluvar and declare his timeless classic, Thirukkural, as India's National Book."

Stalin pointed out that quoting Thirukkural in the Union Budget was insufficient and urged the Centre to implement tangible measures to support Tamil Nadu. He called for special schemes, a prompt disaster relief fund and new railway projects for the state. He expressed dissatisfaction with the use of Sanskrit in government projects, claiming, "Stop wasting taxpayers' money on the nonsense of 'Hindi Pakhwadas' in Tamil Nadu."

The Chief Minister demanded a return to naming trains in Tamil, such as Chemmozhi and Thirukkural Express, instead of using Sanskrit names like Antyodaya and Vande Bharat. He concluded by stating that true support for Tamil must be demonstrated through actions, saying, "Love for Tamil is proven through deeds, not deception."

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In response, BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai challenged Stalin's commitment to promoting Tamil outside the state's borders. On X, he questioned Stalin's achievements in advocating for the Tamil language during his tenure in both the state and central governments. Annamalai noted that the Tamil Development Centre programme was initiated by the previous AIADMK government and asked what steps Stalin had taken to further it.

He accused Stalin of seeking to limit Tamil's growth, stating, "You have always wished that Tamil remain confined within the borders of our State." Annamalai also compared Stalin's efforts to those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that Modi had made greater strides in promoting Tamil language and culture beyond Tamil Nadu. He asked, "Have you at least taken half the effort that our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl has taken to spread the richness of Tamil language and culture beyond TN?"