Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Annamalai Criticizes CM Stalin Over Three-Language Policy

Chennai (Tamil Nadu), February 16 – Tamil Nadu BJP State President K. Annamalai has strongly criticized Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s opposition to the three-language formula in education, questioning the government’s stance on language education in government schools.

"Private schools attended by the children and grandchildren of Tamil Nadu ministers, including the Chief Minister, offer trilingual education. Shouldn’t government schools, where the children of the common people study, also have the opportunity to learn Tamil, English, and a third Indian language?" Annamalai stated in a post on X.

Accusing the DMK government of enforcing an outdated education policy from the 1960s, Annamalai highlighted what he described as a double standard.

"In private schools run by DMK members across Tamil Nadu, the CBSE trilingual curriculum is widely implemented. Why is it deemed unsuitable only for government school students? Is the Chief Minister suggesting that only those who can afford it should learn multiple languages? It is now 2025," he remarked.

"The world is progressing rapidly. What is the justification for imposing an outdated policy from the 1960s on Tamil Nadu’s students?" he added.

Annamalai’s remarks came in response to CM Stalin’s criticism of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who had stated that the DMK government must adhere to the Indian Constitution regarding the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP).

"He (Dharmendra Pradhan) claims the three-language policy is the ‘rule of law.’ Can the Education Minister specify which provision of the Indian Constitution mandates this policy?" Stalin questioned in a post on X, sharing a video of Pradhan speaking to reporters in Varanasi on February 15.

Stalin further asserted that education falls under the Concurrent List, emphasizing that the Union Government does not have exclusive authority over it.

"The Union of India consists of states. Education is on the Concurrent List. The Union Government does not hold a monopoly over it," he wrote.

Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister accused the Centre of attempting to "blackmail" the state by threatening to withhold education-related funds unless Tamil Nadu accepted the three-language formula.

"We are only demanding our rights. If you speak as though we are requesting your private property, Delhi must also acknowledge the distinct identity of Tamils," Stalin stated.

The debate over the language policy continues to be a contentious issue, reflecting deeper political and cultural divisions between the state and the Centre.