Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has strongly criticized the Central Government for what he described as a “fake display of affection” towards the Tamil language, accusing it of diverting substantial funds exclusively to Sanskrit while neglecting Tamil and other regional languages.
Citing information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query, Stalin pointed out that the Union Government has spent an enormous ₹2,533.59 crore over the past 10 years for the promotion and development of Sanskrit. In stark contrast, he said, very little has been done financially to support Tamil, one of the world’s oldest and most classical languages.
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Stalin wrote: “Political love for Tamil, but all the money goes to Sanskrit!” He accused the central authorities of paying only lip service to Tamil while ignoring it in practice, especially in budget allocations.
Stalin’s remarks come at a time when language politics in India continues to stir controversy. Regional parties, particularly in southern states, have often voiced concerns about the Centre’s alleged attempts to impose Hindi and promote Sanskrit at the cost of Dravidian languages.
The Chief Minister’s statement is expected to fuel further debate and possibly renew demands for fair and balanced funding towards the preservation and promotion of all Indian languages, particularly Tamil, which holds official classical language status.