'DMK can stack lies, but...': Dharmendra Pradhan shares Tamil Nadu’s PM-SHRI consent letter to counter Stalin 

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday countered Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and DMK MPs' claims that he misled Parliament regarding the state’s consent for the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme. Releasing a letter from Tamil Nadu’s School Education Department dated March 15, 2024, Pradhan stood by his remarks and accused the DMK of spreading falsehoods.

“Yesterday, DMK MPs and Hon’ble CM Stalin accused me of misleading the Parliament regarding Tamil Nadu’s consent for the establishment of PM-SHRI Schools. I stand by my statement made in the Parliament and am sharing the consent letter from Tamil Nadu School Education Department dated 15th March 2024,” Pradhan posted on X.

The letter, signed by Tamil Nadu’s Chief Secretary of School Education Department Shiv Das Meena, confirms that the state was "keen to sign the MoU for establishing the PM SHRI schools" and had already constituted a State Level Committee for the same. It also requested the release of the third and fourth instalments of funds for the financial year 2023-24.

‘DMK can stack lies, but...’

Pradhan did not hold back in criticising the DMK government, alleging that their opposition to NEP 2020 was a political stunt. "DMK MPs and Hon’ble CM can stack lies as high as they want, but the truth doesn’t bother knocking when it comes crashing down. The DMK dispensation led by Hon’ble CM Stalin has a lot to answer to the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

The education minister accused the party of raking up the language issue as a diversion and “denying facts for their convenience”, adding that it wouldn’t "shield their governance and welfare deficit.”

The controversy comes amid ongoing clashes between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over the National Education Policy (NEP). On Monday, DMK MPs protested in Parliament, accusing Pradhan of calling them "liars and uncivilised" after they opposed the imposition of the three-language policy as part of NEP 2020.

DMK MP Kanimozhi claimed that the Centre was withholding over ₹2,000 crore in school education funds to force Tamil Nadu to sign the MoU and accept the three-language formula. “They (Centre) should not link funds for school education with NEP implementation. We have not changed our stand,” she said.

Congress MP Mallu Ravi alleged that Pradhan’s remarks insulted Tamilians, saying, “The education minister made a very unparliamentary comment...He said Tamilians are uncivilised.”

Amid the uproar, several DMK MPs raised slogans against the Centre, alleging discrimination against South Indian states. Congress leader Karti Chidambaram reiterated Tamil Nadu’s opposition to NEP, stating, “Tamil Nadu will never accept the imposition of Hindi. The BJP will be rejected time and again in Tamil Nadu.”

Despite the political standoff, Pradhan urged CM Stalin and the DMK to look beyond electoral politics and prioritize students' interests. “Why this sudden change of stance on NEP? Definitely for political brownies and reviving DMK’s political fortunes. This retrograde politics of DMK is a great disservice to the bright future of Tamil Nadu and its students,” he said.