DMK's Sharp Attack At Centre After Hindi Board At Tamil Nadu Railway Office

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has accused the BJP-led Union Government of crossing limits in its attempts to impose Hindi, saying the naming of the Regional Railway office entrance in Hindi reflects a "disgusting form of Hindi imposition".

The controversy erupted after the entrance gate of the Trichy Railway Division office displayed the name "Kartavya Dwar".

Meanwhile, DMK functionaries in Trichy blackened the Hindi nameboard in protest. DMK allies, including MDMK and Left parties, also condemned the Union Government, calling it an act of Hindi imposition.

"The Union BJP Government, in its attempt to impose Hindi, is now crossing all limits. Under the formula of 'One Language Three Scripts,' the Union Government has stooped to the disgraceful act of writing Hindi names even in Tamil and English scripts as part of its Hindi imposition agenda," the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

"At the entrance of the Trichy Zonal Railway Office, they have written 'Kartavya Dwar.' In EPFO offices, they have written 'Bhavishya Nidhi Bhawan.' Even IPC laws have been renamed using Sanskrit terms. The Union Ministry of Water Resources is now called the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Recently, they even changed the name of the MNREGA scheme. Tamil Nadu will give a befitting reply to the Union BJP Government for its attitude," he added.

Meanwhile, the BJP responded saying the DMK is using the same tactic to divert public attention from real issues.

BJP leader K Annamalai said, "Whenever law and order collapses, whenever you are pulled up in courts, whenever corruption gets exposed, and whenever public anger rises against the DMK you bring up the non-existent issue of Hindi imposition to divert attention. Instead of repeating this stale political drama, when will you speak about the real issues: corruption, murders, robberies, sexual crimes, and the growing menace of drugs?"

However, BJP ally AIADMK has taken a slightly different position on the Trichy Railway Office nameboard issue.

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, the NDA's Chief Ministerial face for the 2026 Assembly elections, has urged the Central Government to intervene.

In a post on X, he said, "The Prime Minister has often spoken with pride about the greatness of the Tamil language, the world's most ancient living language, even during his visits abroad. In such a context, incidents that appear to sideline the Tamil language in its own land must be avoided. I urge the Central Government to intervene and ensure that the entrance gate of the Trichy Division Railway Office is named appropriately in Tamil."