War of words broke out between Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the alleged imposition of Hindi in the Dravidan state, with both leaders trading accusations on social media platform X on Saturday.
In a strongly-worded post, Stalin questioned the intent behind the recently unveiled curriculum framework by the CBSE, accusing the Narendra Modi-led NDA government of attempting to impose Hindi in the state.
Advertisement
“The recently unveiled curriculum framework by the Central Board of Secondary Education, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, is not an innocent academic reform—it is a calculated and deeply concerning attempt at linguistic imposition that vindicates our long-standing apprehensions,” he said.
Stalin alleged that the Centre is “aggressively advancing a centralising agenda” that privileges Hindi over other regional languages under the guise of promoting Indian languages.
“Under the guise of promoting ‘Indian languages,’ the BJP-led NDA government is aggressively advancing a centralising agenda that privileges Hindi while systematically marginalising India’s rich and diverse linguistic heritage. The so-called three-language formula is, in reality, a covert mechanism to expand Hindi into non-Hindi speaking regions,” he said.
The recently unveiled curriculum framework by the Central Board of Secondary Education, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, is not an innocent academic reform—it is a calculated and deeply concerning attempt at linguistic imposition that vindicates our long-standing… pic.twitter.com/9sTZKVV7md
— M.K.Stalin – தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) April 4, 2026
He alleged that the new CBSE curriculum framework will make learning Hindi compulsory for the students of southern states.
“Yet, where is the reciprocity? Will students in Hindi-speaking states be mandated to learn Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam—or even languages like Bengali and Marathi? The complete absence of such clarity exposes the one-sided and discriminatory nature of this policy,” he remarked.
Pradhan hits back at Stalin, calls his ‘Hindi imposition’ claim ‘fabricated narrative’
Hitting back at Stalin, Dharmendra Pradhan rejected the allegations, calling the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s claims a ‘fabricated narrative’ and accusing him of misrepresenting the new education policy.
He said that Stalin is pushing the narrative to conceal his “political failures.”
“The National Education Policy 2020, in truth, accords priority to the mother tongue. This ensures that every child in Tamil Nadu can excel in their mother tongue,” he claimed.
“By falsely portraying an excellent policy as ‘compulsory Hindi,’ you are not protecting Tamil; you are creating barriers that deny our youth the opportunity to become global leaders,” Pradhan added.
The Union Minister further explained that learning additional languages does not weaken Tamil and instead strengthens it as Tamil speakers would become multilingual, confident, and linguistically empowered individuals.
He also accused the Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government of blocking central government schemes in the state.
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru @mkstalin ji, your narrative of “imposition” is a tired attempt to mask political failures. The National Education Policy 2020 is, in fact, a manifesto for linguistic liberation. It prioritises the mother tongue so every Tamil child can… https://t.co/DhDP5ECM4e
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) April 4, 2026
“It is the DMK government that has stalled the establishment of PM SHRI Schools in Tamil Nadu, refusing to sign the Memorandum of Understanding after giving an assurance.”
The Union Education Minister further alleged, “Even with orders from the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to establish Navodaya Schools in Tamil Nadu, your government prioritizes political gains over educational equity and continues to obstruct their implementation.”
Stalin doubles down, accuses Centre of withholding Tamil Nadu’s funds
Responding to Pradhan’s counter, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister stood firm on his opposition to the three-language policy, while also accusing the Centre of withholding the state’s funding.
“Your remarks are deeply irresponsible and reckless, and reflect an entrenched disregard for India’s plurality, federal values, and respect for states. Tamil Nadu firmly rejects #ThreeLanguagePolicy.”
“The claim that there is ‘no Hindi imposition’ is plainly dishonest. When a policy structurally corners non-Hindi speaking states like Tamil Nadu into adopting a third language with little real choice, and when crucial education funding is tied to compliance, it ceases to be a matter of choice.”
He further accused the Narendra Modi government of illegally withholding Tamil Nadu’s ‘Samagra Shiksha’ Scheme funds.
“It is nothing short of audacity to illegally withhold a humongous sum of Rs.2,200 crore under the ‘Samagra Shiksha’ Scheme, effectively penalising Tamil Nadu for refusing to accept #HindiImposition.”
Reiterating the state’s stand, Stalin said, “Tamil Nadu will not accept language imposition under any circumstances, whether disguised as flexibility, backed by financial pressure, or projected as national interest.”
