'Your hatred has blinded you': Annamalai hits back at Stalin over Tamil language debate

Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday, accusing him of hypocrisy over language policies and Tamil cultural preservation. Responding to Stalin’s criticism of the BJP’s stance on Tamil, Annamalai questioned the DMK’s record and accused Stalin of spreading propaganda.

“MK Stalin, instead of listing what you have done to propagate our Tamil language beyond the confines of our State, knowing there aren't any, you've decided to move on to the next topic,” Annamalai wrote on X. He defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to Tamil, pointing to the installation of the Sengol in Parliament. “It was not our claim; it is a reality, and the Sengol today also stands as a testament in the Parliament to our Hon PM Thiru Narendra Modi’s commitment to spreading the Tamil language and culture.”

Slamming Stalin’s argument on funding, Annamalai called out the DMK leader for questioning the increased allocation to Sanskrit over Tamil. “Only a Hypocrite would ask about the increased allocation of funds to Sanskrit over Tamil, knowing the rationality behind it very well. We are calling you a ‘HYPOCRITE’ because this is the allocation for the development of Sanskrit & Tamil between 2006-14.” He cited figures from the UPA era, stating that Sanskrit received ₹675.36 crore, while Tamil got only ₹75.05 crore. “What were you doing back then?” he asked.

Annamalai also took aim at former Home Minister P Chidambaram, stating, “What were you doing while former Home Minister Thiru P Chidambaram submitted over 170 recommendations to popularise Hindi nationwide?”

His response came after Stalin questioned the BJP’s claim of Modi’s love for Tamil. Stalin wrote, “If the BJP’s claim that our Hon'ble PM has great love for Tamil is true, why is it never reflected in action?” He argued that real action would include removing Hindi from Union government offices in Tamil Nadu, granting Tamil official language status on par with Hindi, and allocating more funds for Tamil than Sanskrit.

Stalin also criticised what he called the “saffronisation” of Thiruvalluvar, stating, “Stop the desperate attempts to saffronise Thiruvalluvar and declare his timeless classic, Thirukkural, as India’s National Book.” He demanded special schemes, improved disaster relief funding, and new railway projects for Tamil Nadu. Additionally, Stalin called for an end to what he termed “taxpayer money waste” on Hindi Pakhwadas in Tamil Nadu and objected to Sanskrit-inspired train names like Vande Bharat. “Love for Tamil is proven through deeds, not deception,” he wrote.

Hitting back, Annamalai said: "Thiru MK Stalin, you deliberately despirtualised Thiruvalluvar to suit your propaganda. Search for cheerleaders elsewhere for your defunct propaganda. Your hatred has blinded you from seeing a locomotive named after our great Rani Velu Nachiyaar. You had a problem with Vande Mataram back then and have a problem with Vande Bharat today. Doesn't come as a surprise to us!"

The exchange is the latest in the political feud between Stalin and Annamalai, particularly over Hindi. The BJP leader has repeatedly accused the DMK of double standards, while the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has consistently positioned his party as the defender of Tamil identity against the imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit.