Health Minister accuses DMK of playing ‘cheap politics’
Health Minister K.G. Arunraj accused the DMK of hypocrisy regarding the use of Hindi on medicine covers in government hospitals. He claimed the DMK initiated the printing of these covers during their own tenure before shifting blame to the current administration.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the highly sensitive nature of language politics in Tamil Nadu and the ongoing rivalry between political parties.
Accusing the DMK of playing “cheap politics” over the brown paper covers used to dispense medicines to patients, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj on Wednesday said that TVK was the only organisation committed to following former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai’s two-language policy in letter and spirit and would never compromise on it.
On Tuesday, members of the DMK, including former Minister T.R.B. Rajaa, posted photographs of the pill covers distributed to patients in the government medical colleges in Karur and Coimbatore, which carried dosage instructions in Tamil, English, and Hindi, on social media.
Condemning this, the Health Minister, in a statement, said that DMK’s fake drama was exposed. He said at the Karur government medical college hospital, the covers given to patients were usually obtained from the Central Prison, and “morning/afternoon/night” was stamped on them only in Tamil.
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