New Delhi [India], March 10 : DMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu on Monday strongly criticised Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's "uncivilised" remarks about the DMK MPs and said calling them uncivilised is an "unparliamentary word."
"The words that have been used against our Chief Minister and MPs are terrible. I think they have been telling us time again and again that DMK MPs should know how to speak...Uncivilised is not the word we can use even against any human being of this country. That is the most derogatory word which can be used. Calling the MPs uncivilised is an unparliamentary word," Somu told ANI.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi expressed her strong disapproval after Dharmendra Pradhan referred to the members of Parliament of DMK, the Tamil Nadu government, and the people of Tamil Nadu as "uncivilised" in his response in Parliament.
Kanimozhi, in her Lok Sabha address, stated, "I am very pained and hurt that the minister in his reply in the parliament (Dharmendra Pradhan) has called the members of Parliament, the Tamil Nadu Government, and the people of Tamil Nadu uncivilised."
The controversy stems from the ongoing debate over the National Education Policy (NEP), particularly the contentious three-language policy, which Tamil Nadu strongly opposes. Kanimozhi clarified that in the meeting, the Tamil Nadu representatives had clearly stated their concerns about the NEP.
"In our meeting, we had clearly said that we have issues with the NEP and we cannot accept it in full because the three-language policy is not acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu," she said.
She further mentioned that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, formally outlining the state's concerns with the NEP and its opposition to the three-language policy.
"The CM of Tamil Nadu has written to the Prime Minister and the Education Minister saying that we have issues with the NEP and it cannot be accepted in total and requested the funds to be released," Kanimozhi added.
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi moved a breach of privilege notice against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday, seeking action against the minister for "contempt of the House" while he was replying to a question regarding the non-disbursal of funds by the union government under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.
DMK MP T Sumathy raised the supplementary question.
"When I attempted to clarify the misleading statement of the Minister (Pradhan) who referred me in his reply, the Honourable Union Minister for Education at that point of time made highly malicious, misleading and defamatory remarks and statements which not only misled the House but also constitute a breach of privilege and amount to contempt of the House," Karunanidhi said in her notice to the Lok Sabha Speaker.
According to Karunanidhi's notice, Pradhan's claim that the Tamil Nadu government took a "U-turn" after agreeing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of India for accepting the PM-SHRI scheme is "factually incorrect, misleading the house and against official record."