Tamil actor-politician Vijay on Wednesday waded into the 'Hindi imposition' row between Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre, slammed both parties and labelling their bitter back-and-forth "a fight among KG (kindergarten) students". The jabs drew a swift response; the DMK accused Vijay of "creating an illusion" and of being "scared" of the BJP.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam boss - who has a large fan following and is seen as a dark horse for next year's Assembly election - seemed to kickstart his campaign by accusing the DMK and the BJP of having "staged" the confrontation over the National Education Policy and the three-language formula.
"One (party) sings while the other dances, both in unison... symbolising their collusion in maintaining the status quo. This leaves the concerns of the common people unheard and unaddressed," the actor raged, asserting the rise of his TVK ahead of the 2026 election.
Vijay also underlined his own opposition to the three-language policy - which the DMK has claimed will force Tamil students to learn Hindi - echoing the larger state party's line of it being against the spirit of cooperative federalism and the existing (and successful) two-language policy.
Tamil Nadu's 'Language War'
Speaking at a party event near Chennai, Vijay also ripped into the centre over reports Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had threatened to withhold Rs 2,400 crore in funds if the Tamil Nadu government does not fully accept the NEP, including the three-language push.
READ | "No Question Of Imposing But...": Education Minister In Hindi Row
Mr Pradhan's comment led to a fierce retort from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son and deputy, Udhayanidhi Stalin, who declared the state ready for another 'language war'.
READ | "Tamil Nadu Ready For Language War": Stalin Jr Amid Hindi Row
On the spat between Mr Pradhan and the Stalins, Vijay said, "The centre denying funds for Tamil Nadu is like a fight among kindergarten students. To give is the centre's responsibility... "
Speaking to NDTV, Mr Pradhan countered those attacks by accusing the DMK of creating a "false narrative" and saying the state had, in fact, agreed to implement the new policy before the U-turn.
"Nowhere in the NEP have we suggested there will be an imposition of any particular language in any particular state... unnecessarily a political line has been taken (by the Tamil Nadu government)."
Vijay's "#GetOut" Gameplan
In his two-pronged attack, Vijay also emphasised Tamil Nadu's cultural and linguistic heritage, and called on Tamil voters to gather under his "#GetOut" hashtag, which he declared targets the removal of "landlords" - i.e., DMK from power in the state and the BJP from the centre.
"Tamil Nadu is known for self-respect. And how can you impose a language against state policy in a federal set-up?" he asked, referring to the 1967 and 1977 Tamil Nadu elections.
The 1967 poll was dominated by protests over the then-Congress-led centre's push to recognise Hindi as India's official language. The DMK had, then too, protested against 'Hindi imposition', and those protests led to riots that led to the defeat of the Congress, which was then also in power in Tamil Nadu.
The 1977 election too focused on the 'Hindi imposition' row.
Tamil Actor Gives BJP Setback
The fallout of the entire 'Hindi imposition' row, this week, included the resignation of a senior BJP leader - Tamil actor Ranjana Natchiyaar - who has now joined Vijay's TVK.
READ | Amid 'Hindi Imposition' Row, Tamil Actor Quits BJP, Joins Vijay's TVK
Ms Natchiyaar was a Tamil Nadu BJP veteran of eight years, but she resigned citing dissatisfaction with its policies, including the three-language formula push. She also claimed the BJP's central leadership had shown "growing hostility towards Dravidians, and neglect of Tamil Nadu's needs..."
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
