Annamalai fires back at Stalin: 'Your partymen-run schools don’t even teach Tamil compulsorily'

Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Thursday hit back at Chief Minister MK Stalin, accusing him of spreading "hallucinatory fears" over Hindi imposition and ignoring disparities in Tamil Nadu's education system. “While TN CM spends his day spreading hallucinatory fears, Tamil Nadu BJP wishes to constructively engage with our people & break the disparity in education offered to Govt school students in TN,” Annamalai said.

Referring to the BJP’s ongoing online signature campaign in support of education reforms, Annamalai claimed it has received over one lakh signatures from across Tamil Nadu. He further stated that despite alleged efforts to block their movement, BJP cadres have begun a door-to-door campaign across every district.

Taking aim at Stalin’s opposition to the three-language policy, Annamalai said, “Having realised that the opposition to the three-language policy hasn’t yielded support from the common people, MK Stalin has now jumped to the imaginary Hindi imposition.”

He also pointed out the contradiction in DMK-run matriculation schools, alleging that Tamil is not even compulsorily taught in institutions run by party leaders. “Stalin, do you know in the matriculation schools run by your partymen, Tamil is not even taught compulsorily and is a language of choice for children? You cannot fool people anymore, Thiru Stalin!” he said.

Accusing Stalin of political hypocrisy, Annamalai brought up the 16th Amendment of the Indian Constitution, commonly known as the Anti-Secession Bill, which was introduced to curb DMK’s secessionist agenda in the past. “MK Stalin, never forget that the 16th amendment of the Indian Constitution, popularly known as the Anti-Secession Bill, was introduced only to keep your party’s secessionist ideas in check. It was passed by the party with whom you are in alliance today.”

Annamalai also questioned Stalin’s inconsistency on the National Education Policy (NEP), recalling that Tamil Nadu’s School Education Minister had acknowledged implementing aspects of the NEP in 2023, but the DMK government is now calling it a “poison". “In his response to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last September, your part-time school education minister said that Tamil Nadu is already implementing many aspects of NEP, and today, you call NEP a ‘Poison.’ Do you really have any idea what is going on around you, Stalin?” he asked.

The BJP leader's remarks come as Stalin continues to attack the Centre, alleging that Hindi imposition is a deliberate attempt to subjugate non-Hindi-speaking states. In a recent statement, Stalin declared, “Demanding linguistic equality is not chauvinism. The true chauvinists and anti-nationals are the Hindi zealots who believe their entitlement is natural, but our resistance is treason.”