Taking a daring step, the Tamil Nadu government has substituted the conventional rupee symbol with the Tamil letter ‘Ru’ in its state Budget logo, which has created a raging controversy. Chief Minister MK Stalin came out in defense of this step, pointing out that even Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had done the same in the past.
Stalin had maintained that the criticism over the use of Tamil was hyperbolic, highlighting that the switch is indicative of Tamil Nadu’s pride in its language tradition. The state is also locked in conflict with the central government over the New Education Policy (NEP) and the controversial three-language formula.
“Nirmala Sitharaman herself had employed the Tamil letter rather than Re [for rupee] in English,” Stalin noted, pointing out the irony of the brouhaha.
Removal of the rupee symbol in the Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26 logo, revealed on March 14, attracted scathing comments from opposition parties like the BJP and AIADMK. Critics have blamed ruling DMK of giving regional political interests more precedence than national integrity.
Sitharaman criticized the move, calling it “a totally avoidable instance of language and regional chauvinism.” She cautioned that removing the rupee symbol may promote a mindset that works against Indian unity and promotes secessionist tendencies in the name of regional pride. The Finance Minister reminded the elected representatives of their constitutional obligation to maintain national integrity, noting the irony that the rupee symbol was created by D. Udaya Kumar, the son of a former DMK MLA.
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya condemned Stalin, claiming that the rupee symbol was initially designed in Devanagari script by Kumar. AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami rejected the decision as a “publicity stunt” to divert attention from the government’s administrative failures.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai went on an aggressive attack against Stalin, questioning the logic of the decision and stressing the significance of national symbols.
The government of Tamil Nadu justified the new Budget logo as a representation of the state’s linguistic identity with the slogan “Everything for All,” which the DMK says represents its inclusive governance model. Stalin also criticized that during the time when the Centre was dwelling on the rupee symbol row, it has overlooked Tamil Nadu’s immediate demands for disaster relief, school fee reimbursement, and employment guarantee schemes.
This case represents a significant example of a state not adopting the national symbol of currency, fueling the current debate about regional identity as opposed to national unity.
