Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday slammed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over his remarks on Chief Minister M K Stalin amid the language row, reiterating that the state would not accept the three-language formula.
He asserted that Tamil Nadu would continue to follow its long-standing two-language policy of Tamil and English, rejecting any attempt to impose Hindi through the National Education Policy (NEP).
Claiming that the Centre was pressuring the state to implement the NEP as a means to introduce Hindi, Udhayanidhi said, “We will never accept it. We will always follow the two language policy of Tamil and English,” while campaigning in Thiruvaiyaru for DMK candidate Durai Chandrasekaran.
Seeking support for Chandrasekaran, he urged party workers and voters to ensure a decisive victory. “I promise that I will take up his case with CM Stalin and elevate him as state minister if you make him emerge victorious in the April 23 election by a hefty victory margin of 50,000 votes,” he said, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The DMK youth wing secretary also pledged closer engagement with the region, stating he would visit Thanjavur every month if the party secured a comprehensive win in the district.
“We won seven out of eight assembly seats in Thanjavur district in 2021 election. This time we should make sure of cent per cent victory. Like former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, and CM M K Stalin say, I am also a (Cauvery) Delta man. So, I will visit Thanjavur every month if you send eight MLAs from this district,” he said.
Udhayanidhi also took a swipe at AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami for calling him “inexperienced,” responding that he did not share Palaniswami’s “experience of falling at the feet of leaders to sustain himself.”
(With inputs from PTI)