MK Stalin: Tamil Nadu Budget Logo Drops Rupee Symbol, Sparks Language Debate

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has intensified the ongoing language debate with the central government by dropping the official rupee symbol (₹) from the state budget logo for 2025-26. Instead, the Tamil letter for ‘ru’ from ‘rubai’ (rupees in Tamil) has been used, signaling a strong assertion of Tamil identity.

Tamil Nadu government replaces the Rupee symbol with a Tamil language symbol representing the same on its Tamil Nadu Budget 2025-26. The previous Budget carried the Indian currency symbol ₹

(Photo source for pic 1: TN DIPR) pic.twitter.com/Mb2ruTtDFV

— ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2025

Tamil Nadu Budget Logo Drops Rupee Symbol, Sparks Language Debate

Stalin took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a teaser for the upcoming state budget, set to be presented on March 14 in the state assembly. His post emphasized the government’s commitment to the ‘widespread development of Tamil Nadu for all sections of society’, accompanied by hashtags #DravidianModel and #TNBudget2025. Notably, the logo in the teaser omitted the official rupee symbol, which is inspired by the Devanagari letter ‘र’ (Ra) and the English ‘R’.

CM Stalin Replaces Official Rupee Symbol with Tamil Script for ‘Ru’

This marks a significant departure from previous years, as the Tamil Nadu government had used the official rupee symbol in its budget logos for 2022-23 and 2023-24. Interestingly, the rupee symbol was originally designed by Udaya Kumar, a professor at IIT-Guwahati, who is the son of a DMK leader.

The move has sparked political reactions, with critics viewing it as a provocative stance against the Union government, while supporters hail it as a celebration of Tamil linguistic and cultural pride. The decision aligns with the ruling DMK’s long-standing opposition to Hindi imposition and its advocacy for Tamil prominence in governance and official communication.

The language row between Tamil Nadu and the Centre has been a recurrent issue, with the DMK government resisting policies that promote Hindi over regional languages. By replacing the rupee symbol with Tamil script, the Stalin-led government appears to be reinforcing its stance on linguistic self-identity and regional assertion.

As the Tamil Nadu budget presentation approaches, this symbolic shift has reignited discussions on language politics, federalism, and regional autonomy, setting the stage for further debate on the role of language in governance and public representation.