Rameshwaram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a pointed swipe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and other state leaders, suggesting their pride in the Tamil language rings hollow. 

Speaking at a rally in Rameshwaram, Modi remarked that while he receives many letters from Tamil Nadu leaders, none of them are signed in Tamil.

“The government is constantly working to ensure that the Tamil language and Tamil heritage reach every corner of the world. Sometimes, I am surprised when I receive letters from some leaders of Tamil Nadu—none of them are signed in Tamil. If we are proud of Tamil, then I would request everyone to at least sign their name in Tamil,” Modi said.

The remarks come amid a continuing standoff between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the BJP-led Centre over language policies.

The latest flashpoint is the National Education Policy’s three-language formula, which the state contends is an indirect push for Hindi imposition.

The DMK has argued that such measures pose a threat to Tamil’s primacy in the state’s education and cultural landscape.