Language row: Pawan Kalyan asks DMK why Tamil movies dubbed in Hindi, party responds

Amid Tamil Nadu’s ongoing confrontation  with the Centre over the National Education Policy (NEP) and the language row, actor and Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan Kalyan on Saturday came out in support of the BJP by criticising Tamil Nadu’s ‘hypocrisy’ as far as Hindi is concerned..

Kalyan questioned why Tamil movies are allowed to be dubbed in Hindi by the ruling DMK, when they oppose the alleged imposition of Hindi.

In response, DMK spokesperson Dr Hafeezullah reportedly said the state has never objected to anyone learning Hindi, but is against the imposition of it on the people of Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, actor Prakash Raj said that opposition to the language was not due to hate towards it,  but “for protecting our mother tongue and cultural identity”.

“Don’t impose your Hindi language on us. It is not about hating another language; it is about protecting our mother tongue and our cultural identity with self-respect. Someone, please explain this to Pawan Kalyan garu,” he added.

Before this, on Thursday, the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government decided to remove the official rupee symbol from the state’'s Budget 2025-26, replacing it with the Tamil script equivalent. 

This marked the first time a state has rejected the national currency symbol.

Tamil Nadu has consistently refused to implement key aspects of NEP 2020, particularly the three-language formula. As a result, the Central government has withheld ₹573 crore in education assistance under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

According to policy guidelines, states must comply with NEP provisions to receive SSA funding, with the Centre covering 60% of the allocation for states like Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin recently led a statewide protest against the Union government on March 11, condemning both the NEP and the proposed delimitation exercise, which he described as a threat to South India.

Addressing a public rally, Stalin said, “We oppose NEP because it will completely destroy Tamil Nadu’s education system. The policy disregards reservation, which is the foundation of social justice. It denies financial assistance to Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).”

Tamil Nadu has long viewed the three-language formula as an attempt to impose Hindi. Stalin accused the Centre of using funding as leverage against states that refused to implement central policies.

“Is there a greater example of anarchy than saying, ‘If you do not adopt Hindi, we will not provide funds’?” he asked.

He reaffirmed that Tamil Nadu would continue its two-language policy (Tamil and English), which has been in place since 1968.

Criticising the Union government’s approach, Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to focus on the country’s development rather than promoting Hindi.

He questioned the financial investments in Sanskrit, a language he claimed had limited speakers, while Tamil, a language spoken globally, was being sidelined.

Stalin’s comments came after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had accused the DMK of using the language issue to revive its political standing.

Pradhan had called the DMK’s stance on NEP’s three-language formula “hypocritical” and a “mere political strategy”. 

Responding to Pradhan’s remarks, Stalin asserted that “the Tamil people do not need a lecture on democracy from him”.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)