Tamil Nadu Replaces Rupee Symbol in Budget, Escalating Language Dispute with Centre

Tamil Nadu: In a significant move underscoring its opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP), the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has replaced the official rupee symbol (₹) with a Tamil letter ‘Ru’—derived from ‘rubai’ (rupees in Tamil)—in its 2025-26 state budget. The budget is set to be formally presented on Friday morning.

This marks the first instance of a state government rejecting the national currency symbol, further intensifying its resistance to central policies. Sharing a preview of the budget on social media platform X, Chief Minister Stalin stated, “To ensure the widespread development of Tamil Nadu to benefit all sections of society..."

DMK Defends the Move

Speaking to CNN-News18, DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai defended the decision, clarifying that this was not an act of defiance but a step towards promoting Tamil language and culture. “We have used the Tamil word for Rupees. This is not a confrontation, nor is there anything illegal about it. The government’s priority is Tamil, which is why this change was implemented,” he stated.

Annadurai further emphasized Tamil Nadu’s strong educational performance, noting that the state’s students often seek higher education in countries like the U.S. and U.K. rather than migrating to North India. “The BJP is unable to digest this,” he remarked.

Commenting on the designer of the Tamil rupee symbol, Annadurai added, “The country should take pride in the fact that a Tamilian has designed this symbol. This is about promoting Tamil, and there is no legal restriction against its use.”

According to government officials, the modified symbol appears exclusively in the budget documents and does not extend to currency notes or coins.

BJP Labels the Move as Political Gimmick

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has labeled it as a politically motivated stunt. BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan accused the DMK of exploiting the language issue for political gains. “This is nothing but political drama. If they truly cared about Tamil, why aren’t they ensuring their children study in government schools? The BJP is equally proud of Tamil, but the DMK cannot claim sole ownership of the language,” she asserted.

Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K. Annamalai went a step further, calling the move “stupid.” He pointed out that the official rupee symbol (₹) was designed by Thiru Udhay Kumar, the son of a former DMK MLA, and questioned the logic behind rejecting a symbol created by a Tamilian. “The DMK government is trying to escalate a language war. I am a true Tamilian, and I love Tamil Nadu. Who gave them the authority to act as the sole custodians of Tamil?” he wrote on X.

BJP leader Amit Malviya echoed these sentiments, accusing Stalin of insulting Tamilians by replacing the nationally recognized currency symbol. “How ridiculous can one get?” he asked in a social media post.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy accused the DMK of misleading the public. “This move highlights the DMK’s desperation to divert attention from its failures. Removing the rupee symbol from budget documents is absurd and nothing short of political theatrics,” he stated on X.

Tamil Nadu’s Ongoing Language Dispute with the Centre

The currency symbol modification comes amid an ongoing linguistic standoff between the Tamil Nadu government and the central administration. The DMK has long accused the Centre of attempting to impose Hindi on the state through the three-language formula proposed in the NEP.

Notably, the Tamil Nadu government did not issue any formal notification before implementing the change, adding to the controversy surrounding its decision. With this latest move, the linguistic and political battle between Tamil Nadu and the central government appears far from over.