Overview
- Speaking at a Chennai book launch on November 21, the Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister challenged Union language policy and questioned the Prime Minister’s commitment to Tamil.
- He claimed about Rs 2,400 crore went to Sanskrit over ten years versus a much smaller sum for Tamil, reported as either Rs 150 crore or Rs 50 crore by different outlets.
- BJP leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan, said no one should declare a language dead and demanded he withdraw the remark, citing Sanskrit’s use in prayers and rituals.
- Tarun Chugh and Gaurav Bhatia intensified the criticism by calling the comments an affront to Hindus and portraying the DMK leader as divisive.
- K. Annamalai said the funding reflects the number of Sanskrit universities and urged DMK to seek more Tamil institutions, placing the row within a broader language-policy fight ahead of 2026.