'Signals dangerous mindset', Sitharaman slams Stalin

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday lashed out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for replacing the official rupee symbol (Re) in the state Budget document with a Tamil letter, Ru (rubai in Tamil), asserting it "promoted secessionist sentiments under the pretence of regional pride". The move, she said, "signals a dangerous mindset that weakens Indian unity and promotes secessionist sentiments under the pretence of regional pride" and is a "completely avoidable example of language and regional chauvinism". She also questioned why the DMK had not made its reservations known earlier. 
"The Rupee symbol '₹' is internationally well-recognized and serves as a visible identity of India in global financial transactions. At a time when India is pushing for cross-border payments using UPI, should we really be undermining our own national currency symbol?" she added. "If the DMK has a problem with '₹', why didn't it protest back in 2010 when it was officially adopted under the @INCIndia-led UPA government, at a time when the DMK was part of the ruling alliance at the Centre?" she also questioned.Ironically, ‘₹’ was designed by Th. D Udaya Kumar, the son of former DMK MLA N. Dharmalingam. By erasing it now, the DMK is not only rejecting a national symbol but also utterly disregarding the creative contribution of a Tamil youth, Ms Sitharaman said.
In her post on X, Sitharaman said removing the rupee symbol from the Tamil Nadu Budget "weakened the commitment to national unity and that it was "more than mere symbolism".
"Moreover, the Tamil word 'Rupaai' itself has deep roots in the Sanskrit word 'Rupya', meaning 'wrought silver' or 'a worked silver coin'. This term has resonated across centuries in Tamil trade and literature, and even today, 'Rupaai' remains the currency name in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka," she said. She cited countries like Indonesia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Seychelles and Sri Lanka officially using rupee or its 'equivalent/derivatives' as their currency name. "Rupee symbol is internationally well-recognised and serves as a visible identity of India in global financial transactions. At a time when India is pushing for cross-border payments using UPI, should we really be undermining our own national currency symbol?" she said, while attacking the Tamil Nadu government. "All elected representatives and authorities are sworn under the Constitution to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of our nation. Removing a national symbol like '₹' from the State Budget documents goes against that very oath, weakening the commitment to national unity," she said.
This is the first time a state has rejected the national currency symbol. The decision comes amid the Tamil Nadu government's resistance against the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three-language formula. The DMK has claimed that the use of 'Ru' only is meant to prioritise Tamil and express their love of language. "There is nothing illegal about it... this is not a 'showdown'."