Chennai- In a heated political exchange, BJP Tamil Nadu President K Annamalai criticized the DMK for replacing the rupee symbol with the Tamil letter ‘Ru’ in the state’s budget promotional material. Annamalai called the move “stupid,” pointing out that the rupee symbol was designed by D Udaya Kumar, son of former DMK MLA N Dharmalingam.
Kumar, a visual communication expert with a PhD from IIT Bombay, created the symbol in 2009, blending the Devanagari ‘Ra’ and the Roman ‘R’ to give it universal appeal while honoring Indian traditions. It was adopted nationwide in 2010.
Annamalai argued that the DMK’s action disrespects Tamil contributions and accused the party of fueling a “language war” with the Centre. He asserted that the Tamil letter ‘Ru’ signifies value only when used alongside numbers, not as a standalone symbol.
The DMK defended the change, claiming it aims to promote Tamil. DMK leader Saravanan Annadurai stated, “There is nothing illegal about it… we prioritise Tamil.”
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