‘Rein in your tongue…’: Stalin hits back at Pradhan for acting like a ‘supreme ruler,’ insulting TN MPs

CHENNAI, MAR 10 : After Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan kicked up another controversy in the Lok Sabha on Monday by calling Tamil Nadu MPs as “uncivilised” and “undemocratic”, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin, in a statement, warned the Union minister to control his tongue and not behave as if he is an emperor.

Meanwhile, DMK cadres took to the streets in many places across Tamil Nadu to condemn the remarks of Pradhan and burnt his effigies. Pradhan made the controversial remarks after DMK MPs raised the issue of the Union government withholding over Rs 2,000 crore funds that is due to the State under Samagra Shiksha scheme since the State has refused to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for implementing the PM SHRI scheme as it is opposed to the National Education Policy and the three-language formula.

When DMK MP’s raised their opposition to Pradhan’s allegation that the State went back on its stance after initially agreeing to sign the MoU, the minister, who looked visibly agitated, blamed the MPs for spoiling the future of Tamil Nadu’s children by playing politics and called them “undemocratic” and uncivilised”.

Refuting Pradhan’s allegation that the State did a u-turn after agreeing to sign the MoU, Stalin shared the letter Pradhan sent to him on August 30, 2024. “Was it not you who wrote a letter to me, saying the (modified) PM SHRI MoU sent by Tamil Nadu has fully rejected the National Education Policy and the three-language formula,” he asked.

Condemning the minister for “cheating” Tamil Nadu by not releasing the State’s funds and calling the MPs “uncivilised”, he blamed the minister for insulting the people of Tamil Nadu. “Does Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi accept this,” he asked, tagging the prime minister on the social media platform X.

Reiterating the State’s stance against the NEP and three-language formula, he said the present TN government functioned by respecting the opinion of the people and it did not submit to instructions from Nagpur (referring to the Nagpur-headquartered RSS) like Pradhan.

“We never came forward to implement your scheme. No one can coerce me to do so as well,” he said.

“Will you release the taxes you collected from us, the funds that belong to the students, or not?” Stalin, ended the statement with a pointed question.

Tamil Nadu school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi also strongly condemned the “outrageous remarks” of Pradhan. “Does he truly understand what he is saying or is he just repeating a script handed to him?,”asked Poyyamozhi.

“The Union BJP Government’s political interference in education will not be forgiven. Students and teachers will remember this betrayal. NEP is not an education policy, but an RSS-driven agenda. Tamil Nadu rejects it outright. DMK MPs are fighting for education and the rights of our state. This fight will not stop until justice prevails,” he said on the X platform.

-PTI