'True chauvinist and anti-nationals are Hindi zealots': Tamil Nadu CM Stalin's fresh attack on NEP

NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing debate over the

three-language policy

in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has once again taken a strong stand against the BJP-led central government. On Thursday, he used a famous quote to target the Centre's stance on language policy, saying:
"When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression."
In his post on X, Stalin said that this quote reminded him of how some "entitled bigots" brand Tamil Nadu’s demand for linguistic equality as chauvinistic and anti-national. He accused BJP leaders of questioning the patriotism of the

DMK government

, despite its contributions to national causes, stating, "The very people who glorify Godse’s ideology have the audacity to question the patriotism of DMK and its government that contributed the highest amount of funds during the Chinese Aggression, Bangladesh Liberation War, and Kargil War, while their ideological forefather is the one who assassinated 'Bapu' Gandhi."

Stalin continuing his attack on Centre, said that demanding linguistic equality should not be considered chauvinism, adding, "Chauvinism is naming the three criminal laws that govern 140 crore citizens in a language that Tamils cannot even pronounce or comprehend by reading. Chauvinism is treating the state that contributes the most to the nation as second-class citizens and denying its fair share for refusing to swallow the poison called NEP."
He warned that forcing any language upon people creates enmity and weakens national unity. "The true chauvinists and anti-nationals are the

Hindi zealots

who believe their entitlement is natural but our resistance is treason," he said.
A day earlier, Stalin had also criticised the Centre, urging it to take meaningful steps to support the Tamil language rather than engaging in symbolic gestures. He questioned the BJP’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has great love for Tamil, arguing that such sentiments are not reflected in action. "If the BJP's claim that our Hon'ble PM has great love for Tamil is true, why is it never reflected in action?" he asked.
He called on the government to consider concrete measures instead of symbolic acts, stating, "Rather than installing Sengol in Parliament, uninstall Hindi from Union government offices in Tamil Nadu. Instead of hollow praise, make Tamil an official language on par with Hindi and allot more funds for Tamil than a dead language like Sanskrit."

In response, BJP Tamil Nadu chief

K Annamalai

questioned the DMK’s efforts in promoting Tamil beyond the state’s borders. "What were your achievements in propagating our Tamil language beyond the borders of TN while in power in the State and the Centre? Did anyone obstruct DMK from doing it?" he asked.
He also pointed out that the Tamil Development Centre programme was launched by the previous AIADMK government and challenged Stalin’s role in expanding it. "What efforts have you taken to roll out the Tamil Development Centre programme commenced by the previous AIADMK regime?" he added.