Chennai, Feb 19 : Students from Presidency College in Chennai staged a protest on Wednesday against the Union government's proposed trilingual policy, which they view as an attempt to impose Hindi in Tamil Nadu.

According to police reports, students gathered in front of the college gate, voicing their opposition to the policy.

The protest comes amid ongoing tensions between the Tamil Nadu government and the Centre over implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The controversy intensified after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan linked the release of education funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme to Tamil Nadu's adoption of the NEP, including its three-language policy.

This condition has sparked strong opposition from the state government.

Tamil Nadu's School Education Minister, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, condemned Pradhan's remarks at a protest organised by the INDIA bloc on Tuesday.

He reiterated the state government's stance, stating: 'We reject the National Education Policy (NEP), the PM-SHRI scheme, and Hindi imposition. The Union government is trying to pressure states into accepting NEP, but Tamil Nadu will not succumb to such coercion.'

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has consistently opposed the NEP, arguing that it is a disguised attempt to impose Hindi under the pretext of multilingual education.

The party has also accused the Centre of pursuing an anti-Tamil and anti-Dravidian agenda.

Union Minister Pradhan, however, dismissed these allegations, claiming that the Tamil Nadu government was politicising the issue.

He questioned why the state was resisting NEP when most other states had accepted it, further alleging that Tamil Nadu had initially agreed to the Centre's conditions but later backtracked.

Speaking at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam event in Varanasi, Pradhan said: 'Tamil Nadu must adhere to constitutional norms and implement NEP in letter and spirit.'

However, DMK legislator Ezhilan pointed out that under the Official Language (Use for Official Purposes of the Union) Rules, 1976, Tamil Nadu is exempted from Hindi imposition.

He emphasised that those who wish to learn Hindi voluntarily are free to do so but argued against making it mandatory.

On Monday, the DMK issued a press statement condemning Pradhan's remarks, accusing the Centre of intimidating Tamil Nadu by threatening to withhold education funds.

The statement also criticised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, alleging that she has been biased in fund allocations and has consistently ignored Tamil Nadu's projects.

Furthermore, the party accused the Centre of interfering in state affairs through the office of the Governor and attempting to weaken Tamil Nadu's education system via the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The AIADMK, which has also opposed the three-language formula, reaffirmed its commitment to the state's long-standing two-language policy of Tamil and English.

AIADMK General Secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) reiterated the party's opposition to Hindi imposition.

Meanwhile, expelled AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam (OPS) also urged the Centre to withdraw its insistence on the trilingual policy.

With political parties uniting against NEP's language provisions and student protests gaining momentum, Tamil Nadu's resistance to the policy remains a major point of contention between the state and the Centre.

The DMK has indicated that the protest is just the beginning of a larger movement against NEP's implementation in Tamil Nadu.

/IANS