Tamil Nadu drops official Rupee symbol in budget 2025-26, sparks political row

M K Stalin replaces national currency symbol with Tamil ‘Ru’ in State Budget

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, intensifying the language dispute with the Central government, has dropped the official Rupee symbol from the state budget for 2025-26, replacing it with the Tamil letter for ‘ru’ from ‘rubai’ (rupees in Tamil).

The controversial change was revealed in a teaser for the State Budget, which Stalin shared on X, ahead of the budget presentation on March 14 in the State Assembly. The teaser carried hashtags #DravidianModel and #TNBudget2025, but conspicuously omitted the official Rupee symbol, which was originally inspired by the Hindi letter for ‘R’.

First state to reject national currency symbol

This marks the first time a state has rejected the national currency symbol, a move that comes amid Tamil Nadu’s ongoing opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language formula.

Even the 2023-24 state budget prominently featured the Rupee symbol, which was designed by IIT-Guwahati professor Udhay Kumar, the son of a former DMK leader.

BJP’s Annamalai slams Stalin, calls move ‘stupid’

The decision has sparked political backlash, with Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai sharply criticizing M K Stalin for replacing the Rupee symbol.

“The DMK government’s State Budget for 2025-26 replaces the Rupee symbol designed by a Tamilian, which was adopted by the whole of Bharat and incorporated into our currency,” Annamalai wrote on X.

Highlighting that Udhay Kumar, the designer of the Rupee symbol, is the son of a former DMK MLA, Annamalai questioned Stalin’s motives:

“How stupid can you become, Mr. M K Stalin?”

Political and cultural implications

The decision to replace the national Rupee symbol is seen as part of Tamil Nadu’s broader assertion of linguistic and cultural identity, often at odds with the Central government’s policies. As the debate intensifies, it remains to be seen whether the DMK government will face legal or political challenges over the move.

The State Budget will be presented on March 14, and the controversy is likely to dominate discussions in the Assembly and beyond.

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