A controversy erupted in Tamil Nadu after rumours spread that the state government was planning to introduce a Bill restricting the use of Hindi. The rumours began on Wednesday morning following reports of an “emergency meeting” at Chief Minister MK Stalin’s residence. India Today reported the story and asked DMK Organisational Secretary TKS Elangovan for confirmation. He neither confirmed nor denied the report but said the party would not act against the Constitution.

The claim quickly triggered protests in several parts of the state. DMK cadres in places like Pollachi burned Hindi letters on placards in opposition to the rumoured Bill, chanting slogans like “Tamil Nadu does not need Hindi.” Navaneedhakrishnan, Pollachi North District Secretary of the DMK, said the protests were in support of the Chief Minister’s stand to protect the Tamil language. He added that the Central government was withholding education funds because of the three-language policy and continued to impose Hindi.

Political reactions followed immediately. BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai criticised the DMK, comparing the alleged “ban on Hindi” with Andhra Pradesh’s Google data centre deal. In response, DMK MP P Wilson called Annamalai an “Andh Bhakt” and dismissed the claim as fake news. Wilson pointed out that Tamil Nadu has signed 893 MoUs since 2021, attracting investments worth Rs 10.07 lakh crore and creating over 31 lakh jobs. He also highlighted recent expansions by companies like Hitachi in the state.

By the afternoon, sources said the DMK had decided to halt any proposal related to the supposed Bill. Later, the state-run TN Factcheck team officially declared the rumours false. The agency clarified that no proposal for such a Bill had been received and called the claim completely false.

Annamalai, however, accused TN Factcheck of being “an extended arm of the DMK’s propaganda machinery.” He claimed the DMK had leaked the story to “test the waters” and then backtracked to distract from recent court losses. He also questioned the state’s investment announcements, urging the government to update the public on previous promises.

Meanwhile, protests continued in various regions with DMK supporters burning Hindi letters and demanding the protection of the Tamil language. The incident reflects the sensitive debate around language politics in Tamil Nadu, where people remain protective of Tamil and cautious about Hindi imposition.