Synopsis
The Tamil Nadu Finance Minister will present the state budget for 2025-26 amid controversy surrounding the removal of the rupee symbol from the official logo. This decision has faced backlash from opposition leaders and union ministers, citing concerns over regional chauvinism and national unity.Key Takeaways
- Thangam Thenarasu to present the 2025-26 budget.
- Controversy over removing the rupee symbol.
- New symbol: Tamil character ‘Roo’.
- Criticism from opposition leaders, including EPS.
- Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman condemns the decision.
Chennai, March 14 (NationPress) Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu is poised to unveil the state budget for the financial year 2025-26 on Friday at the Assembly Hall located in the Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex at Fort St. George here.
Speaker M. Appavu announced that the House’s Business Advisory Committee will meet to decide the length of the budget session. Furthermore, the state government will introduce the Agriculture Budget for 2025-26 on Saturday, March 15.
This year’s budget presentation has been clouded by controversy following Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s choice to eliminate the Indian rupee symbol (₹) from the official budget logo. Instead, the Tamil character ‘Roo’ (‘ரூ’) has been adopted to signify ‘Roobai,’ which is the Tamil term for rupee.
On Thursday (March 13), CM Stalin revealed the promotional logo for the budget, showcasing the new symbol alongside the tagline “Ellarkum Ellam” (Everything for Everyone), which underscores inclusivity. However, this decision has faced severe backlash from opposition leaders and Union Ministers, who accuse the DMK government of promoting linguistic and regional chauvinism.
AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) criticized the DMK’s choice, describing it as a publicity stunt intended to distract from governance shortcomings.
In a social media statement, he condemned CM Stalin for focusing on symbolic gestures instead of tackling the genuine issues confronting the populace. He also accused the chief minister of delivering “scripted dialogues written by others” and dismissed the action as a political gimmick.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed her disapproval, strongly condemning the DMK government’s action.
Taking to social media, she characterized it as “a completely avoidable example of language and regional chauvinism.”
She contended that the removal of the rupee symbol threatens national unity and encourages divisive sentiments. Sitharaman also highlighted the irony of the DMK’s position, noting that the rupee symbol was officially adopted in 2010 under the Congress-led UPA government, in which the DMK was a coalition partner.
She further emphasized that the symbol was designed by 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 disregarding the creative contribution of a Tamil youth,” she stated.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai also condemned the decision, questioning the reasoning behind replacing the rupee symbol. In a pointed comment directed at CM Stalin, he remarked: “The DMK government’s state budget for 2025-26 replaces the rupee symbol, which was designed by a Tamilian and adopted by the entire nation. How foolish can you be, Thiru @mkstalin?”
This controversy arises amidst ongoing tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre regarding language policies.
The DMK-led administration has consistently resisted the Union government’s perceived imposition of Hindi, particularly through the National Education Policy (NEP). The removal of the rupee symbol is perceived as part of Tamil Nadu’s broader opposition to Central policies seen as undermining regional identity.
As the budget is revealed, all eyes will be on how the government navigates economic challenges and development priorities amid this political uproar.
