Stalin government replaces Rupee symbol with Tamil letter in state budget amid language row

[javier26]

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu government, led by MK Stalin, on Thursday replaced the Rupee symbol "₹" with the Tamil script "ரூ" in the logo for the state's 2025-26 budget. This move comes amid the ongoing language debate, with the BJP-led central government and the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government once again at odds over the NEP's three-language policy.

Tamil Nadu finance minister Thangam Thennarasu is set to present the 2025-26 budget on Friday.
The budget logo features "ரூ" (ru), the first letter of the Tamil word "Rubaai," which represents the Indian currency in the Tamil language.
 

It also includes the caption "Everything for All," reflecting the ruling DMK’s emphasis on an inclusive model of governance.

 

This move has further fuelled the language debate, with Tamil Nadu repeatedly accusing the Centre of trying to "impose Hindi" on southern states.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin strongly criticised the central government, arguing that the push for Hindi threatens the diversity of regional languages in North India.

 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tamil-nadu-replaces-rupee-symbol-with-tamil-letter-in-budget-logo/articleshow/118972164.cms

[javier26]

Nirmala Sitharaman slams MK Stalin's DMK over 'Rs' move: 'Promotes secessionist sentiment

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday slammed the Tamil Nadu government's move to replace the rupee symbol.

 

“If the DMK (@arivalayam) has a problem with ‘ ₹’, why didn’t it protest back in 2010 when it was officially adopted under the @INCIndia -led UPA government, at a time when the DMK was part of the ruling alliance at the Centre? Ironically, ‘ ₹’ was designed by Th. D Udaya Kumar, the son of former DMK MLA N. Dharmalingam. By erasing it now, the DMK is not only rejecting a national symbol but also utterly disregarding the creative contribution of a Tamil youth,” Sitharaman said in an X post

 

 

The Tamil government has replaced the Indian rupee symbol with a Tamil letter in its logo for the 2025-26 budget, to be tabled in the Assembly on Friday.

The logo for the budget, released by the government on Thursday carried 'Ru', the first letter of the Tamil word 'Rubaai', which denotes the Indian currency in the vernacular language.

 

“All elected representatives and authorities are sworn under the Constitution to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of our nation. Removing a national symbol like ' ₹' from the State Budget documents goes against that very oath, weakening the commitment to national unity,” Sitharaman added.

 

Continuing her attack, the finance minister said,"This is more than mere symbolism—it signals a dangerous mindset that weakens Indian unity and promotes secessionist sentiments under the pretence of regional pride. A completely avoidable example of language and regional chauvinism."

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nirmala-sitharaman-slams-mk-stalins-dmk-over-rs-move-promotes-secessionist-sentiment-101741884406363.html

 

 

 

 

[singhvivek141]

DMK is desperate now. They are aware that the facade that they've created for decades to fool the Tamil people is slowly crumbling down.
Tamilians and their next-gen kids are now spread in different parts of country (Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, Luckow etc) and they're calling out the Christianization of Tamil Nadu at a global level.
DMK is just throwing tantrums here and there to provoke a response from Center, which then it will use to ignite the regional sentiments of Tamils by playing their cards through the controlled media.

[velu]

Smart guys like @Vicks57 will fall for this stupid stunt

[coffee_rules]

1 hour ago, velu said:

Smart guys like @Vicks57 will fall for this stupid stunt

I read it as stupid cu*t and was still agreeing to it

[Vicks57]

4 hours ago, velu said:

Smart guys like @Vicks57 will fall for this stupid stunt

 

Hook, Line and Sinker......

 

National media and BJP are falling right into DMK's playbook.

 

We have been using tamil "Ru" for a long time.

 

DMK right now has a TASMAC scandal and they are doing a brilliant job covering it up. No coverage/debate of this issue in any tamil mainstream media. Eerily similar to GODI media. Might be worse actually. Future leaks bleak for anti-DMK parties as of now

 

All because Centre freezed the educational funds to TN. If you want states to follow 3 language formula, reward the states which follow 3 language formula by creating new funds. Dont hold back existing funds for government/aided schools.

 

Didn't you guys learn from Congress on what happens when you try to impose 3 language formula in TN?

 

That education minister Pradhan is dumb as *.

 

BJP lacks the acumen to do politics in TN. They are struggling real hard. BJP has already destroyed the only alternative to DMK which is the ADMK.

 

Bad time to be an anti-DMK voter who wants alternative.

 

Edited March 14 by Vicks57

[Vicks57]

 

Tamil 'Ru' is not something new. We have been using it since independence.

 

DMK deliberately switched back to Tamil 'Ru' in State Budget to trigger BJP.

 

Politically speaking, DMK is doing a brilliant job stoking up the language war thanks to moronic BJP withholding TN's education funds.

 

Mission accomplished thanks to idiots.

 

Not looking good for anti-DMK alternative parties.

 

 

Edited March 14 by Vicks57

[Muloghonto]

We don't expect better from Southern dehatis who think it's good idea to elect retarded man with retarded name after one of world's worst genocidal authoritarian. 

They also don't think it's a biggie to have genocidemongers in their govt. 

Message received. 

It's war with dmk. We will solve dmk by solving the rot in Tamil culture itself. Na rahega baans na bajegi  baansuri. 

 

Time to take a page outta tywin lannister playbook and do a rains of castermere on Tamil identity. 

[Vicks57]

1 minute ago, Muloghonto said:

We don't expect better from Southern dehatis who think it's good idea to elect retarded man with retarded name after one of world's worst genocidal authoritarian. 

They also don't think it's a biggie to have genocidemongers in their govt. 

Message received. 

It's war with dmk. We will solve dmk by solving the rot in Tamil culture itself. Na rahega baans na bajegi  baansuri. 

 

Time to take a page outta tywin lannister playbook and do a rains of castermere on Tamil identity. 

 

Bengali uncle, you are most funniest and mentally unstable person I have ever seen.

 

First, try to solve poverty in your state.

 

Stop getting triggered at non-issues and play right into DMK's playbook.

 

[Vicks57]

5 hours ago, singhvivek141 said:

DMK is desperate now. They are aware that the facade that they've created for decades to fool the Tamil people is slowly crumbling down.
Tamilians and their next-gen kids are now spread in different parts of country (Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, Luckow etc) and they're calling out the Christianization of Tamil Nadu at a global level.
DMK is just throwing tantrums here and there to provoke a response from Center, which then it will use to ignite the regional sentiments of Tamils by playing their cards through the controlled media.

 

Dude, we have been using tamil 'Ru' since independence.

 

Our bus tickets are printed with this symbol. I just shared screenshots where Nimmi aunty used this symbol back in 2017....

 

Getting triggered and playing right into DMK's playbook seems to be a habit of BJP....

 

Award states who implement NEP with new funds. Dont withhold existing funds for states who reject NEP.

 

I have no idea how BJP is winning so much in rest of India considering the utter lack of political acumen displayed by them in TN.

[randomGuy]

1. It is the tamil people who lose out by not speaking/understanding hindi where people from all other states talk in Hindi in workplace, sports, hanging out. I have seen first hand. Hinders their socialization.

 

2. All other state boards offer hindi except TN state board. 

 

TN state board Enrollment: Enrollment dropped from 12.85 million (2010) to 10.9 million (2025), reflecting population slowdown and a shift to CBSE (1.52 million students).

 

^^In TN itself, CBSE schools have grown from 250 in 2004 to 1650 in 2025. CBSE schools in TN obviously offer hindi language.

 

3. In NEP, hindi isn't anyways mandatory as 3rd language yet DMK opposing it. 

 

 

 

[singhvivek141]

1 hour ago, Vicks57 said:

Dude, we have been using tamil 'Ru' since independence.

 

Everyone used their own version till we had the symbol.

 

But once the symbol ₹ became common, it is being used at every length, breadth of the country. Whats the point now in going back to the old symbol ? Just to show that we don't agree with "center" ?

 

BJP is winning the states, coz it has actually has done welfare to the people. Highways are constructed at a rapid pace, we are electricity surplus country, digitization has increased which is appraised all over the world, people have access to basic needs, bank accounts, there are less security incidents all over the country.

[Vicks57]

27 minutes ago, randomGuy said:

1. It is the tamil people who lose out by not speaking/understanding hindi where people from all other states talk in Hindi in workplace, sports, hanging out. I have seen first hand. Hinders their socialization.

 

2. All other state boards offer hindi except TN state board. 

 

TN state board Enrollment: Enrollment dropped from 12.85 million (2010) to 10.9 million (2025), reflecting population slowdown and a shift to CBSE (1.52 million students).

 

^^In TN itself, CBSE schools have grown from 250 in 2004 to 1650 in 2025. CBSE schools in TN obviously offer hindi language.

 

3. In NEP, hindi isn't anyways mandatory as 3rd language yet DMK opposing it. 

 

 

 

 

1. Yes, Socialization and friendships with rest of the Indians do get missed out. 

 

2. TN has more number of people studying Hindi Prachar Sabha.

 

State govt students are reducing and CBSE/ICSE/IB students are increasing in every part of India. So, either way, people learning hindi are increasing as per the Centre's goal.

My relative studied hindi for 5  yrs in schools. He can read, write hindi but he can never speak it. Most of the time, he does not even understand what he is reading unless he has a hindi to english/tamil dictionary nearby. This is the case of most Tamils studying hindi in CBSE. Read, Write, Do not understand/speak.

 

3. Yes, But most people will choose Hindi/French in TN. DMK does not want hindi in TN. So they are playing that angle. TN has already exceeded GER goal of NEP. So DMK use this angle to protest NEP.

 

Edited March 14 by Vicks57

[Vicks57]

15 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

 

Everyone used their own version till we had the symbol.

 

But once the symbol ₹ became common, it is being used at every length, breadth of the country. Whats the point now in going back to the old symbol ? Just to show that we don't agree with "center" ?

 

BJP is winning the states, coz it has actually has done welfare to the people. Highways are constructed at a rapid pace, we are electricity surplus country, digitization has increased which is appraised all over the world, people have access to basic needs, bank accounts, there are less security incidents all over the country.

 

Thing is their own version is still used in many parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

 

Nirmala Sitharaman used tamil rupee version even after adopting the new symbol. So What's your response to that?

 

Different people do things to elucit different responses.

 

DMK is using this symbol to trigger BJP and it is working like a charm thanks to BJP being dumb.

[singhvivek141]

8 minutes ago, Vicks57 said:

 

Thing is their own version is still used in many parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

 

Nirmala Sitharaman used tamil rupee version even after adopting the new symbol. So What's your response to that?

 

Different people do things to elucit different responses.

 

DMK is using this symbol to trigger BJP and it is working like a charm thanks to BJP being dumb.

An individual doing it on his/her personal space is different that a govt doing it publicly.

Take this like Modiji can speak in Hindi if he wants to, but if he orders every govt document to be in Hindi then it will be an issue..coz along with Hindi, English too is an official language of the center.

 

Anyway, my 2 cent is DMK is playing with fire. If they start behaving like Kejriwal, then things might take a wrong turn in the center-state coordination. 

[singhvivek141]

2 hours ago, Vicks57 said:

BJP has already destroyed the only alternative to DMK which is the ADMK.

How BJP did that ?

AFAIK, the whole issue happened coz there was no successor for Late. Jayalalitha ji.

Unlike Karunanidhi, who has a whole family tree behind.

[Vicks57]

12 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

How BJP did that ?

AFAIK, the whole issue happened coz there was no successor for Late. Jayalalitha ji.

Unlike Karunanidhi, who has a whole family tree behind.

 

Follow the events in TN. BJP is holding a gun to EPS' head and basically threatening him to join an alliance with BJP in both Lok Sabha and State elections.

 

Their party symbol is running into trouble repeatedly. Now there are few people in ADMK who has their loyalty to BJP. BJP is actually helping DMK with their poor political acumen. Annamalai should be educating these BJP morons at centre on how TN functions. But he is busy diverting funds from centre into his own personal coffer.

 

Everything looks poised for a DMK repeat in 2026 State elections. 

Edited March 14 by Vicks57

[putrevus]

16 minutes ago, singhvivek141 said:

How BJP did that ?

AFAIK, the whole issue happened coz there was no successor for Late. Jayalalitha ji.

Unlike Karunanidhi, who has a whole family tree behind.

This nepotism in politcs has to stop.His son who is an actor if I am not wrong is again a minister under his father.These guys are all about themselves.

 

 

[ravishingravi]

Basic qualifying criteria to be dravidian DMK is to have IQ less than 50. Anyone higher IQ will have allergic rashes all over around Dravidians. Numbnuts keep falling for this kind of stuff. 

Edited March 14 by ravishingravi

[singhvivek141]

8 minutes ago, putrevus said:

This nepotism in politcs has to stop.His son who is an actor if I am not wrong is again a minister under his father.These guys are all about themselves.

Problem is all politicial parties are like that (minus BJP)

They're brainchild of one individual who will stick to the power and groom his/her kin to take the leadership.
In Shiv Sena...Uddhav took over from BalaSaheb
NCP...Sharad pawar and her daughter

SP...Mulayam and now his son 
DMK...Karunanidhi and his kin

TRS...KCR and KTR
Congress...we all know at depth about them

BJP is aloof coz it's faces has been bachelors. Vajpayee, Modi and probably next in line Yogi too. Plus it's decision making is very closely directed by RSS.