Tamil Nadu Drops Rupee Symbol in State Budget, Sparks Political Controversy
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has stirred controversy by omitting the official rupee symbol from the state budget 2025-26, replacing it with the Tamil letter for ‘ru’ from ‘rubai’ (rupees in Tamil). The move, seen as part of the state’s ongoing resistance to central policies like the NEP and the three-language formula, was highlighted in a teaser shared by Stalin on X, featuring the budget logo without the widely accepted rupee symbol.
The decision marks the first instance of a state rejecting the national currency symbol, prompting strong reactions from political opponents. BJP state president K Annamalai criticized Stalin, pointing out that the rupee symbol was designed by Udaya Kumar, the son of a former DMK MLA, and adopted nationwide. He accused Stalin of disregarding Tamil contributions to the symbol’s creation, while BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya called the move an insult to Tamilians.
In previous years, Tamil Nadu’s budget logos prominently featured the rupee symbol, making this change a significant shift. The controversy adds to ongoing tensions between the DMK-led state government and the BJP-led central government over language and cultural identity issues. As the budget presentation on March 14 approaches, the move is expected to remain a focal point of political debate.
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