Dharmendra Pradhan’s ‘uncivilised MPs’ remark draws Stalin’s fire | India News
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin came down hard on Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday for calling DMK MPs “uncivilised”.
Taking to X, Stalin said, “Dharmendra Pradhan, who thinks he is a king and speaks with arrogance, should mind his words. How can you call Tamil Nadu MPs uncivilised when you are the one who cheated Tamil Nadu by not releasing the funds?”
DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, too, expressed strong objection to Pradhan’s comments in LS, following which the Union minister said he would retract his words.
During a heated Lok Sabha debate on three-language policy on Monday, Pradhan said DMK MPs were “undemocratic and uncivilised”. Condemning Pradhan’s remark, DMK cadres across Tamil Nadu set fire to Pradhan’s effigies. They raised slogans against the Union minister while beating his effigies with slippers.
Referring to Pradhan’s remark, Stalin said Pradhan had insulted people of Tamil Nadu and demanded to know from PM Narendra Modi whether he approved of his minister’s speech.
Recalling Pradhan’s letter dated Aug 30, 2024, Stalin said it was the minister who said TN entirely rejected the MoU sent by Union govt on NEP. “DMK functions on people’s wishes and not on directions from Nagpur (RSS headquarters),” said Stalin.
Kanimozhi criticised Pradhan for his remarks. Taking to X, she said, “I strongly condemn Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his disgraceful remarks calling Tamil Nadu and its people uncivilised. On behalf of DMK and eight crore Tamilians, I demand an immediate apology!” The DMK MP further said, “His words deeply hurt and pained the people of Tamil Nadu. What right does he have to insult TN while happily taking its tax revenue, workforce, & contributions to the nation? BJP govt has no problem reaping benefits from Tamil Nadu, yet it repeatedly disrespects its people. We will not tolerate this!”
Pradhan doubles down on NEP stand
Dharmendra Pradhan intensified his criticism of TN govt on dispute over implementation of NEP and said “those lacking concrete facts resorted to creating an uproar to mislead others”. He urged TN govt to prioritise students’ interests over political considerations. “Just a few days are left before completion of this financial year; govt doesn’t have any issue in providing TN their allocation of PM SHRI but they are not interested in it,” he said, adding, “Those who don’t want to join PM SHRI programme, I appeal to them, it is a scheme for benefit of students, and in TN, the medium of instruction will remain Tamil only. What is their opposition, I do not understand?”
Sanskrit merits higher place in both society & academia: BJP
Amid protests by DMK members in Lok Sabha over language provisions in National Education Policy, senior BJP MPs Monday staunchly defended promotion of Sanskrit in both academia and society, arguing that its status as one of the oldest languages merits greater recognition.
BJP MP Dilip Saikia called for Sanskrit to be made compulsory in universities nationwide, while Nishikant Dubey dismissed DMK’s protests as “politically motivated and attempt to divide the country by inciting passions by opposing NEP and delimitation of parliamentary constituencies”.
DMK is opposing NEP and delimitation out of fear of losing the Tamil Nadu assembly polls due next year, he said.
“DMK is only inciting passions. Tamil is an ancient language but Sanskrit pre-dates Tamil. Go to any temple across country be it in Tamil-speaking, Telugu-speaking or Kannada-speaking regions — everywhere puja is performed in Sanskrit,” Dubey said.
He said in 1973, Congress-led govt increased seats in MP and Bengal in delimitation of parliamentary seats but did not do so in Tamil Nadu. “Despite that, DMK is running govt in partnership with Congress. DMK wants to divide the country by inciting emotions,” Dubey said.
