Amid reports that the Union government transferred funds under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme that were originally meant for Tamil Nadu to other States, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday said that students of the State were being punished for standing up for their rights.

“The BJP government’s unjust attitude against Tamil Nadu knows no bounds! For rejecting the imposition of #NEP2020 [National Education Policy] and the three-language policy, they resorted to open blackmail, snatching away ₹2,152 crore meant for Tamil Nadu’s students and now they have handed it over to other States. This is nothing short of coercion, punishing our students..,” Mr. Stalin posted on social media.

Referring to media reports in this regard, Mr. Stalin said: “No government in India’s history has been so ruthless to strangle access to education for political revenge against a State. The BJP has once again proven itself to be the face of injustice and hatred towards Tamil Nadu and its people!”

Last year, Mr. Stalin flagged reservations in the provisions for getting funds under PM-SHRI scheme. In response, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had requested the State to sign the Memorandum of Understanding to implement the PM-SHRI scheme in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, BJP Tamil Nadu president K. Annamalai accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of “spreading a lie” over the allocation of funds under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan to Tamil Nadu. Responding to Mr. Stalin’s allegations of the Union government’s “unjust attitude” towards Tamil Nadu, Mr. Annamalai, in a social media post, said the State had lost its sheen and was at the bottom of the table in numeracy and basic language proficiency (Tamil). “Mr. Stalin and his coterie should be ashamed of bringing down the quality of education, politicising education, and depriving the children of Tamil Nadu of equal opportunities and world-class education,” he said.

“The Tamil Nadu government committed in March last year that it will implement all aspects of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, including PM-SHRI, from this academic year. How do you expect the Centre to pay the State for a programme that is not implemented?…” he asked.

As per the recent fund release to States under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, 35 of 36 States and Union Territories are yet to receive the allocated amount for 2024-25. “Do you have no shame in spreading a lie that the funds allocated to Tamil Nadu are diverted to other States?” he further asked.

Senior BJP leader H. Raja said in Coimbatore that the Tamil Nadu government had earlier said it would form a committee to study the three-language formula, and then Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena had said that the State would accept the PM-SHRI scheme.

According to him, the Centre gave funds for education under 20 heads, including PM SHRI. The Tamil Nadu government was not getting ₹500 crore under the PM SHRI scheme as it had decided not to accept the national education policy.