‘Against north Indian elite leadership’: Pawan Kalyan’s old video resurfaces amid Tamil Nadu language row

On March 14, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan jumped into the three-language political controversy between the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and the BJP-ruled centre by accusing Tamil Nadu politicians of ‘hypocrisy.’

The Janasena Party chief pointed out that while these leaders oppose Hindi, they allow Tamil movies to be dubbed in the language for financial gains.

Kalyan's comments come amid a war of words between the Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu and Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre over the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP). Kalyan's Janasena Party is a BJP ally in Andhra Pradesh government led by TDP leader and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

‘Against north Indian elite leadership’

On March 16, a 2017 video emerged on the internet in which Kalyan is heard vowing to raise his voice against the north Indian elite leadership.

“We love our motherland. We respect our motherland. But, if you keep on degrading the Dravidian culture, we will definitely raise our voice against north Indian elite leadership; I am not going back on my words,” Kalyan is heard responding to questions by reporters in Hyderabad in 2017.

Joined NDA in 2024

The actor-politician's party, the Jan Sena contested 2019 Andhra Pradesh election against the BJP-TDP alliance. The party, however, joined hands with NDA in 2023 and contested the 2024 Andhra Pradesh assembly polls with TDP-BJP alliance. The party won 21 seats.

In April 2017, Kalyan had criticised the BJP in a series of posts on X (then Twitter). "To BJP leadership - We are in Down South and we are the foundation of this nation and not your Up North Political leadership," he had said.

After Pawan Kalyan's remarks on March 15, DMK MP Kanimozhi dug up his 2017 remarks 'against' Hindi language. "Technology allows you to watch movies beyond language barriers,' she said in a post.

Kalyan responded on X by asserting that he was never opposed Hindi as a language. "I only opposed making it compulsory. When the NEP 2020 itself does not enforce Hindi, spreading false narratives about its imposition is nothing but an attempt to mislead the public.

₹2,000 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

Presenting the DMK government's last full budget in the state assembly on March 14, Tamil Nadu's Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu said that the state government would not compromise on its two-language stand even if that means losing over ₹2,000 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme.

"Even after losing ₹2,000 crore, our chief minister firmly stands by the two-language policy and refuses to compromise," he said in the assembly.

The DMK has accused the Union government of ‘Hindi imposition’ through the National Education Policy (NEP) and withholding funds meant for the state under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

The Tamil Nadu Budget was tabled amid a highly charged political atmosphere in the state over two contentious issues: the three-language row and delimitation.