Stalin warns of major protest against Centre’s language policy

DMK leader demands that education be shifted from Concurrent List to State List

June 04, 2019 12:22 am | Updated 12:22 am IST - CHENNAI

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday said Tamil Nadu will witness a major protest if the BJP-led Centre failed to clarify within a few days its stand on the three languages policy [as part of the Draft National Education Policy] and the "imposition of Hindi".

“I warn Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Unless you give an explanation about the announcement you have made with a view to cheating the people of Tamil Nadu, the leaders of the alliance parties on the dais will come together. After that, Tamil Nadu will witness a major protest,” he said while addressing a public meeting on the occasion of the birth anniversary of late party leader M. Karunanidhi, observed as Semmozhi Day (Classical Language Day).

He said the BJP government had sulked after facing stiff opposition to its new education policy from T.N. “It is the DMK’s demand that education be restored to the State List [from the Concurrent List],” he said.

Recalling the pledge he had taken at the memorial of Karunanidhi before launching the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, Mr. Stalin said he had fulfilled it by winning 38 of the 39 constituencies. He said the next pledge was to capture power in Tamil Nadu. “We will be in power when we hold the centenary celebrations of Kalaignar ,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said the PM should think deeply about why his party and its allies were defeated in T.N. “It will happen to anyone who fails to respect the aspirations of Tamils and fulfil their demands and works against their interests,” he said.

Responding to the criticism that the victory of the DMK and its allies would be of no use in the face of the massive victory of the BJP and its alliance partners, Mr. Stalin wondered whether there was any law which stated that only the ruling party should be in Parliament. “Is it against democracy to elect the Opposition to Parliament?” he quipped.

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