Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has come to the defense of his government's move to use the Tamil letter 'Ru' (from Rubaai, rupee) instead of the rupee symbol (₹) in the state budget logo.
Defending the move in the face of criticism, Stalin said that the decision was an expression of Tamil Nadu's devotion to its language policy and blamed opponents for playing up the issue because of their prejudice against Tamil.
He added that even Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier employed the Tamil letter 'Ru' instead of 'Re' in English. "Interestingly, Nirmala Sitharaman herself has utilized the Tamil letter rather than 'Re' in English," he stated.
Opposition Criticizes the Action as 'Regional Chauvinism'
The move to replace the rupee symbol in the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 logo, unveiled on March 14, has drawn flak from opposition parties like the BJP and AIADMK.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized the decision on social media as "a totally avoidable instance of language and regional chauvinism." She said that the elimination of the rupee symbol indicated "a dangerous attitude that undermines Indian unity and fosters secessionist feelings in the guise of regional pride.
Sitharaman went on to emphasize the irony in the decision, adding that the rupee symbol was created by Tamilian D. Udaya Kumar, who is the son of late DMK MLA N. Dharmalingam. "By removing it now, the DMK is not only rejecting a national symbol but also ignoring the creative input of a Tamil youth," she stated.
BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya and Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai too condemned the decision, charging Stalin with humiliating Tamilians by omitting the rupee sign. "The DMK government has substituted the rupee symbol, fashioned by a Tamilian and embraced by the nation in its entirety. How silly can you get, Thiru @mkstalin?" Annamalai tweeted on social media.
AIADMK General Secretary and Opposition Leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) condemned the action as a "publicity stunt" intended to divert attention from failures of governance. EPS accused Stalin of giving importance to symbolic actions instead of actual governance matters.
Stalin Hits Back at Centre, Defends Tamil Identity
The Tamil Nadu government reiterated that the budget logo aims to reflect the state’s linguistic identity. The logo also carries the caption "Everything for All," which the DMK claims embodies its inclusive governance model.
Stalin refuted the BJP's objection by citing that most continue to use 'Rs' rather than 'Re' in English documents without any hullabaloo. He also said that the Union government was guilty of selective outrage, claiming that although the Centre is quick to react to the issue of the rupee symbol, it had ignored the Tamil Nadu government's requests for disaster relief, education funding, and employment schemes.
The row follows Tamil Nadu's historical tension with the Centre regarding language policies. The DMK has always resisted what it refers to as Hindi imposition, and the abolition of the rupee symbol is being interpreted as part of this wider resistance. This is the first time a state has turned down the national currency symbol, taking the battle between regional identity and national unity to a new high.
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