Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai voices strong support for NEP, announces seven conferences across state

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai expressed strong support for the National Education Policy (NEP), praising its positive impact on the state's education system.

To further promote the policy, he announced plans to hold seven additional conferences across Tamil Nadu aimed at raising awareness and garnering support.

Annamalai also highlighted the policy's flexibility regarding the third language, a shift from previous education policies that made Hindi mandatory.

"With respect to the National Education Policy, we opened our first conference (in support of NEP) in Trichy on Sunday. We are organizing seven more conferences across Tamil Nadu. The message is clear: the people of Tamil Nadu want the NEP. They want a third language that is not imposed on them," Annamalai said.

He pointed out that in the 1968 and 1986 National Education Policies, Hindi was made compulsory as a third language.

"It was the Congress party that attempted to impose a single language on certain states, damaging the country's unity," he added.

"For the first time, this National Education Policy does not make Hindi a compulsory third language. How is the BJP destroying our country's fabric by implementing the NEP? Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi should get his facts and history right," Annamalai said.

Annamalai also said that the BJP is open to forming an alliance with any group whose sole aim is to overthrow the DMK in Tamil Nadu.

"The BJP and the current NDA remain strong. Our doors are always open for any leader to join the NDA and strengthen it. Anyone joining us with the goal of dethroning the DMK is welcome," he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on March 24, announced that lawmakers from all parties in the state would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for fair delimitation.

Stalin emphasized that Tamil Nadu had taken the lead in addressing the issue by establishing an all-India Joint Action Committee, holding an all-party meeting, and passing a legislative resolution, which had a significant national impact.

"The demand made by Tamil Nadu is for fair delimitation. It is the first state in India to pass a legislative resolution, hold an all-party meeting, and establish an all-India Joint Action Committee, which has impacted the national level. To take this further, Tamil Nadu’s all-party parliamentarians will meet the Prime Minister to press our demand," Stalin posted on X.

The Tamil Nadu government has clarified that it opposes any delimitation process that could reduce the state’s representation in Parliament due to population control measures.

The upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister aims to ensure that Tamil Nadu's concerns are considered in any future changes to the allocation of parliamentary seats.

The Joint Action Committee also passed a resolution calling for greater transparency in the delimitation process.

They unanimously requested that the freeze on parliamentary constituencies, based on the 1971 Census population, be extended for another 25 years and that the Union government be more transparent about any delimitation exercise.

Stalin led the JAC in urging the government "not to penalize" states that have successfully implemented population control measures.