Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has strongly criticized Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath over his remarks on the language policy debate, calling it “political black comedy at its darkest.” MK Stalin asserted that Tamil Nadu was not against any particular language but opposed the imposition of one language over others. His response comes amid an ongoing political debate over the three-language policy outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
MK Stalin’s remarks followed Adityanath’s accusations against the DMK government, claiming that it was using the language issue as a divisive tactic. The Tamil Nadu CM took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond, stating that his government’s stand on the two-language policy and fair delimitation had resonated across the country, unsettling the BJP. He went on to criticize Adityanath’s stance, saying, “And now Hon’ble Yogi Adityanath wants to lecture us on hate? Spare us. This isn’t irony—it’s political black comedy at its darkest. We don’t oppose any language; we oppose imposition and chauvinism.”
The language debate reignited after Adityanath, in an interview with a news agency, accused MK Stalin of engaging in “narrow politics” by opposing the three-language formula. He alleged that leaders like MK Stalin resorted to regional and linguistic divides whenever they feared losing their vote bank. “When these people feel their vote bank is at risk, they try to create divisions based on region and language. The people of this country should always be alert to such divisive politics and stand firm for the unity of the country,” Adityanath said.
The DMK has long opposed the three-language formula proposed under the NEP, viewing it as an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states. The Tamil Nadu government has consistently upheld a two-language policy—Tamil and English—arguing that any push for Hindi would undermine linguistic diversity and cultural identity.
Responding to MK Stalin’s comments, Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai criticized the DMK’s position, pointing out that private schools owned by MK Stalin’s family teach multiple languages while the CM opposes the same policy for government schools. He accused MK Stalin of attempting to distract the public with “insignificant matters” and suggested that the DMK’s political tactics were being exposed. “The whole country now knows that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu’s family owns private schools that teach three languages & more but opposes the same policy for the state’s Government school students,” Annamalai wrote on X.
