DMK chief Stalin slams Hindi signboards in Thoothukudi; officials responsible suspended, says Minister
DMK leader M.K. Stalin criticized the Tamil Nadu government for including Hindi on road signboards in Thoothukudi, calling it an imposition of the language. The state government responded by suspending the responsible officials and replacing the signs to adhere to the state's two-language policy.
Why it matters
Language politics remains a highly sensitive and volatile issue in Tamil Nadu, reflecting broader tensions regarding regional identity versus national integration.
DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday (October 2, 2026) condemned the inclusion of place names in Hindi on a State Highways Department road signboard in Thoothukudi district.
In a post on X, he stated: “Until now, Tamil Nadu was only facing the Union government’s Hindi imposition. Now, the State government itself is doing that job.”
“Is this yet another attempt by the TVK government, which tests the waters in everything and takes a ‘U-turn’ once opposition flares up?” he asked. Condemning the move, he emphasised that the two-language policy is Tamil Nadu’s core vital principle and warned not to “play with it.”
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