Officials have stressed that the proposed bill will comply with the Constitution, reflecting the state's policy of promoting linguistic identity while maintaining legal compliance.
The Tamil Nadu government is set to table a bill in the assembly seeking a ban on Hindi hoardings, boards, movies, and songs across the state. Sources say this move aims to prevent the imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu and follows an emergency meeting with legal experts. Officials have stressed that the proposed bill will comply with the Constitution, reflecting the state's policy of promoting linguistic identity while maintaining legal compliance.
The bill targets all forms of Hindi representation in public, including hoardings, boards, movies, and songs. Officials reiterated that the measures are being drafted with constitutional safeguards, with legal experts reviewing the draft to ensure adherence to national legal standards. The government's objective is to address concerns about language imposition within the state, not to infringe on constitutional rights.
Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan stated, "We won’t do anything against the Constitution. We will abide by it. We are against the imposition of Hindi." His comments reflect the DMK's position that the bill responds to pressures to promote Hindi at the expense of regional languages, not to challenge national unity or legal frameworks.
In contrast, BJP leader Vinoj Selvam criticised the bill as "stupid and absurd," asserting that language should not be used as a political tool. Selvam argued that the government is using language issues for political advantage, intensifying the ongoing debate.
Selvam also claimed that the DMK's focus on language policy follows judicial setbacks, including the Thiruparankundram and Karur probe cases, as well as the Armstrong issue. He alleged the move is intended to divert attention from the controversial Foxconn investment situation, which has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks.
Earlier this year, the state government replaced the national rupee symbol with the Tamil letter "ru" in the 2025–26 state budget logo. The decision received criticism from BJP leaders and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who viewed the change as a rejection of a national symbol. The DMK argued the modification was intended to promote the Tamil language, not to undermine national symbols.
