Congress Hits Back at DMK Over Omission of Nehru, Ambedkar in Policy Notes

The Congress on Sunday hit back at former ally DMK in Chennai over its criticism regarding the exclusion of prominent leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and B R Ambedkar, from an official Tamil Nadu government policy note, accusing the opposition party of political double standards.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Treasurer Ruby R Manoharan responded to remarks made on Saturday by former DMK MLA and party legal wing joint secretary E Paranthaman. Paranthaman had criticised the state government for omitting ideological stalwarts E V Periyar, Ambedkar, and Nehru from the official policy note of the Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Paranthaman had also targeted the Congress party for its silence, pointing out that Nehru's name was missing despite his key role in passing the First Constitutional Amendment.

Responding to the criticism, Manoharan claimed that the names of Nehru and Ambedkar were completely omitted from official policy notes tabled during the previous DMK rule.

Manoharan stated that the DMK and its spokespersons were talking incoherently due to frustration over the public verdict, urging them to review their own past explanatory notes.

He alleged that during the DMK government tenures in 2022–2023, 2023–2024, and 2024–2025, the official policy notes tabled by then minister S Rajakannappan did not mention the names of Nehru or Ambedkar anywhere.

Questioning Paranthaman's stance, Manoharan asked if the former legislator was absent or silent in the Assembly when the minister presented those policy notes, asking why the DMK ignored and excluded the leaders from documents while in power.

Congress is currently part of the TVK-led government in Tamil Nadu.