With the CBSE-mandated three-language formula turning into a convenient punching bag in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, which has been following the two-language formula for decades, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to campaign in the Dravidian heartland on the language issue.
“Even if we keep silent, by persistently pushing Hindi in some form or another, the BJP is digging its own grave in Tamil Nadu. It is very adept at that. I challenge Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Pradhan to campaign in Tamil Nadu on the three-language policy when they come here for electioneering. This is my open challenge,” Stalin said, addressing a massive campaign rally at Virudhunagar.
In the same breath, he asked Dharmendra Pradhan what the rationale is behind the three-language formula and its link to educational standards, debunking his charge that Tamil Nadu’s educational standard is abysmally low, though it remains at the top in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) across the country. “The BJP is digging its own grave,” he said, and questioned whether the AIADMK under Edappadi Palaniswami and other NDA allies concurred with the three-language policy.
Targeting EPS as the betrayer in chief, Stalin said, “If Kattappa (in the movie Bahubali) is an epitome of loyalty, EPS is the archetype of betrayal,” and asked whether the AIADMK has the guts to challenge the three-language formula, which is antithetical to the state.