New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday lashed out at the DMK over the language row as she accused it of hypocrisy, saying the “elderly person” they worship used to describe Tamil as a “barbaric” language which cannot even help beggars get alms.
In a fiery speech in the Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said DMK people idolize a person who spoke “disparagingly” against the Tamil language.
“I do not want to name him, but the moment I read the passages, anyone with a small, faint familiarity with Tamil will know who I’m speaking about. So when this person speaks about Tamil and much horribly, there’s no objection.
“On the contrary, they would keep his photo. They will also say he is our Dravidian icon,” she said while quoting the “elderly person” from various Tamil magazines.
While the BJP leader did not take the name of the “elderly person”, she was apparently referring to Periyar, foremost leader of the Dravidian movement.
Sitharaman also regretted that the DMK MPs did not even condemn a caricature portraying Prime Minster Narendra Modi in chains before US President Donald Trump.
She said action will be taken against those behind the cartoon (now withdrawn) published in the online version of ‘Vikatan Plus’.
“…when the cartoon is done about honourable prime minister, do you want all of us to sit and watch it? Certainly, action will be taken, and I’m happy the Vikatan cartoon was pulled down. And for that, you have sympathy,” she said, adding if somebody says anything against the Tamil Nadu chief minister, the person is “arrested at midnight”.
Continuing her attack on the DMK, Sitharaman said the ruling party in Tamil Nadu has double standards regarding Tamil language.
She pointed out that for just saying “your protest are uncivil”, they (DMK) made Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan withdraw his statement.
“But a man who repeatedly says Tamil is a barbaric language, they keep his photograph in every room, they garland him and worship him and say he is the icon of Dravidian movement. Look at their hypocrisy,” the finance minister said.
Pradhan’s remarks in the Lok Sabha on Monday criticising the Tamil Nadu government for refusing to implement the National Education Policy and doing a “U-turn” on the issue for “politics” drew angry protests from the DMK, disrupting proceedings in the House.
“They are dishonest and they are ruining the future of the students of Tamil Nadu … they are misleading the people,” Pradhan said while replying to a query on the Centre not releasing funds for the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme.
Hitting back, the DMK said it had clearly told the minister “we cannot accept” the NEP “in full” and the three-language formula “is not acceptable to Tamil Nadu”.
It said the Centre cannot stop the release of budgetary allocation for education on the issue of implementing the NEP.
