NEP issue stalls Parliament as DMK MPs, Pradhan spar

The ongoing war of words between the ruling BJP and DMK led to disruptions in the Lok Sabha on Monday, with Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan forced to withdraw certain remarks following protests by Tamil Nadu MPs.

- Liz Mathew & Lalmani Verma

During the face-off in Question Hour, Pradhan accused the DMK government in Tamil Nadu of being "dishonest" and playing "politics" with the future of the state's students. While criticizing the DMK government's opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP), he also accused it of doing a "U-turn" over PM-SHRI schools, bringing DMK MPs to their feet.

Soon after the exchange in Parliament, Tamil Nadu chief minister Stalin put out a post on social media accusing Pradhan of "arrogance." "Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who speaks with arrogance as if he were a king, needs to watch his words!" Stalin wrote. "You are withholding Tamil Nadu's rightful funds and deceiving us, yet you call Tamil Nadu MPs uncivilized? ... Does Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi approve of this?"

The Tamil Nadu government had never agreed to implement the PM-SHRI (Schools for Rising India) Scheme, unlike what Pradhan said, Stalin wrote. Referring to a letter written by Pradhan in 2024, he said: "Wasn't it you who wrote to me confirming that the Tamil Nadu government had completely rejected NEP, the three-language policy, and the PM SHRI MoU?"