The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, has sparked a political row by replacing the Devanagari rupee symbol with a Tamil letter in the official logo for the state Budget 2025-26. The move, aimed at promoting the Tamil language, has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman calling it an act of "language and regional chauvinism" that threatens national unity.
The logo, which features the slogan "Ellorkkum Ellaam" (Everything for Everyone), includes the Tamil letter "ru," the first letter of the word "rubaai," denoting the Indian currency in Tamil. DMK spokesperson Savaranan Annadurai defended the change, stating that it was intended to give prominence to Tamil.
Reacting to the decision, BJP Tamil Nadu chief K. Annamalai criticized the DMK for removing the rupee symbol, which was designed by D. Udaya Kumar, a Tamilian and son of former DMK MLA N. Dharmalingam. He pointed out that the symbol was officially adopted in 2010 under the UPA government, in which DMK was a coalition partner. Sitharaman also questioned why the DMK did not oppose the symbol at that time.
She further argued that the term "Rupaai" itself has Sanskrit roots and is used in several countries, including Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Indonesia. Stressing the international recognition of the rupee symbol, she warned that such a move could undermine India's financial identity globally.
The controversy comes amid an ongoing rift between the DMK and the BJP-led central government over issues such as the National Education Policy's three-language formula and the delimitation exercise. Earlier this month, an all-party resolution in Tamil Nadu called for a 30-year pause on delimitation, and Stalin has invited Chief Ministers from seven states for a meeting on March 22 to discuss the matter.
Sources indicate that the decision to change the logo was personally approved by Stalin as part of Tamil Nadu’s broader stance against perceived Hindi imposition. A senior DMK leader defended the move, citing recent instances where Tamil language and culture were allegedly disrespected, including a remark in Parliament that led to protests from Tamil Nadu MPs.
Meanwhile, D. Udaya Kumar, who now heads the design department at IIT Guwahati, distanced himself from the political debate. He stated that he was unaware of the reasons behind the DMK’s decision and emphasized that his focus remains on academics rather than politics.
With the state Budget set to be presented in the Assembly on Friday, the rupee symbol controversy adds another layer to the ongoing political tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre.