Tamil Nadu budget: Stalin’s DMK govt replaces rupee symbol with Tamil letter

Amidst the ongoing political friction over language policies, the Tamil Nadu government has replaced the Indian rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil letter 'ru' in its 2025–26 budget logo, signalling a bold assertion of linguistic and cultural identity.

The logo prominently features 'ru', the first letter of the Tamil word 'rubaai' (ரூபாய்), meaning 'rupee'. It also carries the slogan 'everything for all', which aligns with the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government's emphasis on inclusive governance.

Tamil Nadu finance minister Thangam Thennarasu is set to present the state budget on Friday, 14 March, but the design change has already triggered a strong political reaction.

Reacting to it, Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai sharply criticised the move, calling it unnecessary and an attempt to stoke linguistic divisions.

"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 said in a social media post.

He also pointed out that Udhay Kumar, the designer of the official rupee symbol (₹), is the son of a former DMK MLA, questioning the rationale behind the state government's decision.

Annamalai further shared an image of the previous 2024–25 budget logo, which had retained the Indian rupee symbol, to highlight the change.

The controversy comes amid long-standing friction between Tamil Nadu and the BJP-led union government over the alleged imposition of Hindi.

The DMK, known for its strong pro-Tamil stance, has repeatedly accused the Centre of attempting to undermine regional languages, especially Tamil.

While the Union government has denied such allegations, the Tamil Nadu government has consistently pushed back, reinforcing Tamil linguistic pride through policy decisions and symbolic gestures.

This latest move is being seen by political observers as another assertion of Tamil Nadu’s independent cultural identity, setting the stage for further political confrontations between the DMK and BJP ahead of the 2026 state elections.