NEW DELHI: The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, has replaced the Indian Rupee symbol “₹” with the Tamil script “ரூ” in the official logo for the state’s 2025-26 budget. The decision has reignited the ongoing language debate between the DMK-led state government and the BJP-led central government, particularly in light of Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the National Education Policy’s (NEP) three-language formula.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu is set to present the budget on Friday. The new logo features “ரூ” (ru), derived from “Rubaai,” the Tamil term for rupee, alongside the caption “Everything for All,” underscoring the DMK’s focus on inclusive governance.
Political Reactions
The move has drawn sharp reactions from political leaders, with the Tamil Nadu government accusing the Centre of attempting to impose Hindi on southern states. Chief Minister MK Stalin has previously criticized the central government’s language policies, arguing that Hindi dominance has led to the decline of more than 25 native languages in North India.
BJP Tamil Nadu chief K Annamalai slammed the decision, pointing out that the original Rupee symbol was designed by a Tamilian, Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam, the son of a former DMK MLA. “The DMK government has removed a nationally recognized symbol created by a Tamilian. How ridiculous can one get, Thiru @mkstalin?” he said.
BJP IT Cell Chief also criticized the move, calling it an insult to Tamilians. “Udaya Kumar, who designed the Rupee symbol, is a Tamilian. By removing it from the budget document, Stalin is undermining Tamil pride,” he stated.
With the DMK standing firm on its linguistic and cultural identity, the debate over language politics in Tamil Nadu is likely to continue, further deepening the ideological divide between the state and the Centre.
