'Promotes secessionist sentiments...': FM Sitharaman reacts after rupee symbol got replaced in Tamil Nadu Budget

Hours after the rupee ‘₹’ symbol was dropped from the logo of the Tamil Nadu state budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin by terming the move a "dangerous mindset that weakens Indian unity" and promotes secessionist sentiments under the pretence of regional pride.  

Taking to social media platform X, Sitharaman said, "The DMK government has reportedly removed the official Rupee symbol ‘₹’ from the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 documents, which will be presented tomorrow.  If the DMK has a problem with ‘₹’, why didn’t it protest back in 2010 when it was officially adopted under the Congress-led UPA government, at a time when the DMK was part of the ruling alliance at the Centre?"

She added: "Ironically, ‘₹’ was designed by Th.  D Udaya Kumar, the son of former DMK MLA N. Dharmalingam.  By erasing it now, the DMK is not only rejecting a national symbol but also utterly disregarding the creative contribution of a Tamil youth.  Moreover, the Tamil word ‘Rupaai’ (ரூபாய்) itself has deep roots in the Sanskrit word ‘Rupya,’ meaning ‘wrought silver’ or ‘a worked silver coin. ’ This term has resonated across centuries in Tamil trade and literature, and even today, ‘Rupaai’ remains the currency name in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.  In fact, several countries, including Indonesia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, officially use ‘Rupee’ or its 'equivalent/derivatives' as their currency name." 

She further wrote: "The Rupee symbol ‘₹’ is internationally well-recognized and serves as a visible identity of India in global financial transactions.  At a time when India is pushing for cross-border payments using UPI, should we really be undermining our own national currency symbol? All elected representatives and authorities are sworn under the Constitution to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of our nation. Removing a national symbol like '₹' from the State Budget documents goes against that very oath, weakening the commitment to national unity.

She further added: "This is more than mere symbolism—it signals a dangerous mindset that weakens Indian unity and promotes secessionist sentiments under the pretence of regional pride. A completely avoidable example of language and regional chauvinism."

On March 14, prior to presenting its budget, the Tamil Nadu government replaced the Devanagari rupee symbol with the Tamil rupees letter in their logo. The logo, initially displaying ‘Ellorkkum Ellaam’ (Everything for Everyone), was unveiled by the office of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday afternoon. 

The Tamil letter 'Roo' will be used to represent the Tamil word for 'Rupee', 'Roobai'. This new symbol will replace the current 'Rupee' symbol and has already been implemented in all state documents related to the advertising materials for the upcoming state budget.

This action highlights the firm resistance of the DMK-led government towards the three-language approach outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP). The determination to make this change comes amidst a contentious political discussion, with Chief Minister MK Stalin alleging that the Centre is endeavoring to enforce Hindi in Tamil Nadu through NEP, which he characterised as a "saffron policy."