Responding to Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s remarks on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and its three-language policy, AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Monday, February 17, urged the BJP-led union government to prioritise the welfare of the people of state and release the funds, instead of focusing on who is ruling the state.
Addressing a zonal conference for young party cadres at Vellore Fort Grounds, Palaniswami said, “They are refusing to provide Tamil Nadu with its due share of funds. We appeal to the union government to consider the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu and not concern itself with who rules the state.”
Palaniswami’s remarks came in response to statements made by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi on February 15. The Union Minister had accused the Tamil Nadu government of acting out of political motivations rather than prioritising students’ interests. He also questioned whether Tamil Nadu was against its own language, arguing that the NEP promotes local languages as the primary medium of instruction. He also stated that Union government funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme would remain withheld until Tamil Nadu fully adopted the NEP.
Countering Pradhan’s claims, Palaniswami reiterated Tamil Nadu’s longstanding commitment to the two-language policy. “It is not right on the part of the Union government to impose the three-language policy on Tamil Nadu. As far as the state is concerned, it will continue to adhere to the two-language policy,” he said. He also emphasized AIADMK’s adherence to the policy, a stance championed by former Chief Ministers MG Ramachandran, CN Annadurai, and J Jayalalithaa.
In his address, Palaniswami also took a dig at the ruling DMK, accusing the party of frequently switching alliances to stay in power. “The DMK changed its alliance to come to power in 1999 when it was part of the BJP-led government. In 2004, it switched allegiance to the Congress alliance to remain in power,” he said.
Palaniswami also asserted that AIADMK would form a grand alliance under its leadership for the 2026 Assembly elections. Despite actor-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) ruling out an alliance with the AIADMK, speculation remains regarding its political positioning. There have been widespread discussions about a potential reconciliation between AIADMK and the BJP following their performances in the 2024 general elections. In 2023, AIADMK exited the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after BJP state president K Annamalai’s controversial remarks against party leaders Jayalalithaa and Annadurai.