Tamil Nadu CM Edapaddi Palaniswami rubbishes claims of rift between AIADMK and BJP

After being decimated in the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, it was speculated that the ruling party in state, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was rumoured to have developed a rift with ally BJP, claims which the former has now refuted. 

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has dismissed reports of an alleged rift between the two parties.

"We (AIADMK) still have an alliance with them (BJP). There is no change. Why is media trying to create confusion on this?" he said while responding to a question posed by reporters in Chennai on Thursday regarding 'bitter relations' between AIADMK and BJP post the poll drubbing.

As per certain media reports, AIADMK, which won only the Theni parliamentary seat represented by OP Raveendranath Kumar, son of the deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, was unhappy after being unable to find itself a spot in the newly constituted cabinet. 

On being asked to respond on his tweet on the three-language formula which he later deleted, Palaniswami said he had just suggested that Tamil could be taught as an optional language in other states, adding that the Opposition is trying to blow it out of proportion.

"Where did I support three language policy? What I did suggest was a proposal that Tamil could be taught as an optional language in other states. That was all about my tweet. Opposition created a major controversy out of it," he clarified.

Palaniswami on June 5 urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include Tamil as an optional language in the curriculum across India.

The deleted tweet read: 

"Request Honourable PM Narendra Modiji to include Tamil as an optional language for study in other states. This will be a great service to one of the most ancient languages of the world," he had tweeted.

The tweet was put out when the Union's draft of the three language policy received a huge backlash amid protests from the Southern states, alleging the imposition of Hindi on them. 

In the draft National Education Policy 2019, a three-language formula recommended the inclusion of English and Hindi besides mother tongue in non-Hindi speaking states, while Hindi-speaking states were to include English and an Indian language from other parts of the country.

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Many leaders from non-Hindi states including Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy along with Edapaddi Palaniswami had opposed the policy draft.