Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday accused MK Stalin’s DMK of fueling a language controversy to distract from corruption allegations, amid rising tensions over the imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu by the Centre.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Home Ministry’s functioning, Shah claimed that the DMK was using language issues as a cover for its alleged corruption. “They run campaigns around language to conceal their corruption. Every language is a gem of the country. Are they implying that we are against any South Indian language? Those playing politics in the name of language have their own agenda,” he stated.

Shah further criticized the DMK for dividing the nation in the name of language. “You (Tamil Nadu government) haven’t had the courage to translate engineering and medical exams into Tamil. Instead, you spread poison under the guise of language. You embrace a language from thousands of miles away but reject an Indian language. Don’t divide the country in the name of language. You are trying to hide your wrongdoings and corruption under this issue. Talk about development, and we will expose you by going to every village,” he added.

The remarks came amid growing allegations from Rajya Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu, who accused the Centre of imposing Hindi on the state. The controversy has intensified following disagreements between the state government and the Centre over the implementation of the three-language formula in the National Education Policy (NEP).

MDMK leader Vaiko, who participated in the Rajya Sabha debate, claimed that Tamil Nadu was being “victimized” by the Home Ministry, which controls disaster relief funds. “The Minister of Home Affairs, who is responsible for releasing disaster relief funds, has victimized our state because we oppose your Hindutva policies, RSS agenda, and the imposition of Hindi and Sanskrit,” Vaiko said.

Vaiko, emphasizing Tamil’s significance, noted that the language is spoken by nearly 120 million people across more than 114 countries, including India. He also recalled Shah’s earlier remarks, questioning the Home Minister’s stance on Hindi imposition: “When the Home Minister first visited, he said Hindi would definitely be imposed, and this led to widespread protests.”