Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman strongly criticized Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for removing the rupee symbol from the state’s budget logo, calling it a “completely avoidable example of language and regional chauvinism.
” She also mentioned that this action shows a “dangerous mindset that weakens Indian unity.” Sitharaman took to social media platform X to express her views in both Tamil and English. She wrote, “The DMK government has reportedly removed the official Rupee symbol ‘₹’ from the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 documents, which will be presented tomorrow. If the DMK had an issue with ‘₹’, why didn’t they protest back in 2010 when it was officially adopted under the Congress-led UPA government, when the DMK was part of the ruling alliance?”
She pointed out that the rupee symbol ‘₹’ was actually designed by Th. D Udaya Kumar, the son of former DMK MLA N. Dharmalingam. “By removing it now, the DMK is not only rejecting a national symbol but also ignoring the creative contribution of a Tamil youth,” Sitharaman added. She also explained that the Tamil word ‘Rupaai’ (ரூபாய்), meaning rupee, is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Rupya,’ which means ‘wrought silver’ or ‘a worked silver coin.’
This term has been part of Tamil trade and literature for centuries. Even today, ‘Rupaai’ is used as the currency name in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Sitharaman further mentioned that many countries like Indonesia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka use ‘Rupee’ or similar terms for their currencies.
The Finance Minister emphasized that the rupee symbol ‘₹’ is internationally recognized and represents India in global financial transactions. She questioned whether it was right to undermine the symbol at a time when India is working on cross-border payments using UPI. “All elected representatives and authorities take an oath to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. Removing a national symbol like ‘₹’ from state documents goes against that oath and weakens the commitment to national unity,” she said.
The DMK government has reportedly removed the official Rupee symbol ‘₹’ from the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 documents, which will be presented tomorrow.
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 13, 2025
If the DMK (@arivalayam) has a problem with ‘₹’, why didn’t it protest back in 2010 when it was officially adopted under the…
Calling the decision a “dangerous mindset,” Sitharaman said, “This is more than just symbolism—it reflects a dangerous mindset that weakens Indian unity and promotes secessionist sentiments disguised as regional pride. It’s a completely avoidable example of language and regional chauvinism.”
The Tamil Nadu government, intensifying its stance on language issues, replaced the rupee symbol with a Tamil letter in the Budget 2025-26 logo. This move highlights the DMK-led government’s strong opposition to the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP). Chief Minister MK Stalin has accused the Centre of trying to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu through the NEP, calling it a “saffron policy” aimed at promoting Hindi over national development. The DMK has repeatedly stated that Tamil Nadu will not accept “Hindi colonialism” as a replacement for British colonial rule.
Although the Union government has dismissed these allegations as “dishonest” and harmful to students’ futures, the language dispute continues to cause tensions. The new budget logo features ‘ru,’ the first letter of the Tamil word ‘Rubaai,’ meaning rupee. The logo also includes the phrase “everything for all,” reflecting the DMK’s commitment to inclusive governance. Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu is set to present the budget on Friday, and the rupee symbol controversy is expected to remain a key point in the ongoing ideological conflict between the state and the Centre.
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