'We will raise this issue in Rajya Sabha as well': MDMK MP Vaiko on Kanimozhi's privilege notice

New Delhi [India], March 11 (ANI): MDMK MP Vaiko has supported DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi's privilege notice against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The notice was filed after Pradhan reportedly called Tamil Nadu MPs "uncivilised" during a parliamentary discussion about the three-language policy.
He also said they would raise this issue in the Rajya Sabha as well.
Speaking to the reporters, MDMK MP Vaiko said, "She (DMK MP Kanimozhi) has rightly moved the privilege notice because the minister abused Tamil MPs and Tamil Nadu CM. He used the word uncivilised. Dharmendra Pradhan is an uncivilised man and we will not leave him. We will raise this issue in the Rajya Sabha as well."
After Pradhan reportedly called Tamil Nadu MPs "uncivilised" during a parliamentary discussion, which deeply angered Kanimozhi, who described the term "uncivilised" as derogatory and unparliamentary.
She argued that such remarks were unacceptable, especially when directed at elected representatives. Speaking to the media, Kanimozhi said, "The words that have been used against our CM and our MPs are terrible... 'Uncivilised' is not a word we can use even against any human being in this country. It is the most derogatory word that can be used. We have given notice, and I think this will not end with this... BJP is having a problem looking at the southern states' growth because they are not able to achieve it."
Kanimozhi further expressed her discontent over the central government's handling of the three-language policy. The three-language policy, which proposes teaching three languages in schools across India, has been a contentious issue, especially in southern states like Tamil Nadu, where English and Tamil have been the preferred languages of instruction.
The DMK has been vocal about its opposition to imposing Hindi as part of the curriculum, calling it an unnecessary burden for students.
In her statement, Kanimozhi also highlighted the disparity in development between southern and northern states, particularly in the context of population control. "Southern India has been meticulously following the family planning, and we are at the penalising point now. Now, all the CMs have started saying you increased the population. What are we looking forward to?... There are so many states with poverty, lack of education, and lack of electricity in the interiors of northern India. We are able to provide quality education, quality food, and quality of life. It's time that the central government learns to implement this in the states that have not been using it and penalise them for not using it," she said.
Tamil Nadu, along with other states, has been resisting the imposition of Hindi in schools, arguing that it goes against the spirit of federalism and the autonomy of states to decide their own educational priorities.
She criticized the speaker's refusal to allow a debate on the issue, further intensifying her concerns about the potential political consequences of the exercise. "We had given notice under Rule 267 for discussing the delimitation, which is taking a toll on the southern states of India, which was refused by the chair. We are asking for a healthy discussion on delimitation. We want to know what is going to be the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), what the government is going to do," Kanimozhi added. (ANI)