The victim mother told the court “As a mother, I cannot bear to see my son in jail.”

The Tamil Nadu vs centre ‘language war‘ – over the new National Education Policy and the ‘imposition of Hindi’ on the state, and others in South India – exploded in Parliament Monday after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticised the latter’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam for being “uncivilised” and “ruining the future of students (from the state)”.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin delivered a feisty response; in an open letter posted on X Mr Stalin accused Mr Pradhan of arrogance and told him to “mind his words”.

“They (the DMK) are being dishonest. They are not committed to Tamil Nadu students. They are ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students. Their only job is to raise language barriers. They are doing politics… mischief. They are undemocratic,” Mr Pradhan raged in the Lok Sabha.

The salvo followed claims Tamil Nadu had, in fact, agreed to fully implement the new education policy, including its plans for a three-language formula, only to backtrack later, allegedly in hopes of using the emotionally charged issue to get votes in next year’s Assembly election.

He also claimed “internal bickering” in the DMK – which has dominated recent elections in the state, including the 2021 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha polls – had led to this stand-off.

The minister’s unseemly “uncivilised” jab drew a biting response from Mr Stalin, who posted a long statement on X (pointedly in Tamil and English only, in line with his state’s two-language policy), in which he said Mr Pradhan “thinks of himself as a king and speaks arrogantly”.

“You are insulting the people of Tamil Nadu. Does the Honorable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, accept this?” Mr Stalin asked, tagging the PM and continuing, “We have not come forward to implement your plan (the three-language formula set out by the new National Education Policy, which Tamil Nadu says amounts to ‘Hindi imposition’) … and no one can force us to do so.”

தன்னை மன்னரென எண்ணிக் கொண்டு ஆணவத்துடன் பேசும் ஒன்றியக் கல்வி அமைச்சர் @dpradhanbjp அவர்களுக்கு நாவடக்கம் வேண்டும்!

தமிழ்நாட்டின் நிதியைத் தராமல் ஏமாற்றும் நீங்கள் தமிழ்நாட்டு எம்.பி.க்களைப் பார்த்து அநாகரிகமானவர்கள் என்பதா?

தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களை அவமானப்படுத்துகிறீர்கள்.… pic.twitter.com/wKQ7FhX3rj

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 10, 2025

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister then demanded a definitive answer from Mr Modi on claims by Mr Pradhan last month – that the centre will withhold funds for the state’s education sector unless it complies with the three-language policy. Mr Stalin had branded this warning as “blackmail”.

“Just answer whether it is possible to release funds belonging to Tamil Nadu students and the taxes collected from us!” he thundered in his post, warning the BJP, as his deputy, Udhayanidhi Stalin had last month, the state had “rejected the National Education Policy entirely”.

It wasn’t just Mr Pradhan and Mr Stalin firing at each other; ex-Tamil Nadu Governor and BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan accused the DMK of denying students from poorer sections the right to study a third language. “When children from affluent families (can) study three languages, why is the same opportunity being denied to poor children… ” she asked.

#WATCH | Chennai | On three-language policy in NEP, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan says,”…They (DMK govt) are denying rights to the poor children of Tamil Nadu. When children from affluent families study three languages, why is the same opportunity being denied to the poor… pic.twitter.com/tY50qy8rPt

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2025

Meanwhile, from across the aisle, the DMK’s Dayanidhi Maran and K Kanimozhi hit out at the narrative the party had reneged on a promise to fully implement the new education policy.

“… DMK never agreed to NEP or three-language policy… all we said is our students need not learn three languages while students from the north learn only one. We are not against Hindi… if students want to learn… they are free to do so but it should not be compulsory…” Mr Maran said.

#WATCH | Delhi: On 3-language policy under NEP (National Education Policy) row, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran says, ” …Dharmendra Pradhan lied by saying that DMK govt had agreed (to sign NEP). DMK never agreed to NEP or 3-language policy, all we said that we can’t…why should our… pic.twitter.com/AuVScetFja

— ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2025

The row over ‘Hindi imposition’ – a sensitive topic in the south, and particularly in Tamil Nadu, where violent ‘anti-Hindi’ riots broke out in the 1960s and which has always been opposed to the language being foisted on it – has re-erupted with the BJP pushing its new education policy.

Days after Ranya Rao was arrested at Bengaluru airport for gold smuggling, the BJP has alleged that the actor approached two ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to wriggle out of trouble. State BJP chief BY Vijayendra has said the “blatant violation” of protocols that allegedly enabled Ranya Rao to smuggle gold “could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government”.

To put the BJP in the dock, the Congress has alleged that under the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government, the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board allotted land to Ranya Rao in 2023 to set up a steel plant.

‘Tried To Contact 2 Ministers’

Amid the row over the actor’s political connections, BJP leader and MLA Y Bharath Shetty told the media, “When she was caught, she tried to contact some Congress ministers to use their influence to get out of the problem. Now it is almost in the public domain that two ministers are trying to help her. The CBI has taken over the case, something solid will come out of it and we will know who is behind this.”

State BJP president Vijayendra cited media reports alleging the involvement of a prominent minister in the matter. In a post on X, he said the reports are not surprising “given this government’s track record of churning out scandals in increasingly ‘innovative’ ways”.

Media reports about the involvement of a prominent minister in @siddaramaiah‘s government in one of the biggest gold heists in recent times come as no surprise—especially given this government’s track record of churning out scandals in increasingly “innovative” ways!

The blatant…

— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) March 10, 2025

“The blatant violation of government protocols that allegedly enabled Ranya Rao to smuggle gold worth over Rs 12 crore – and possibly much more in the past – could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government. If these reports are true, it raises serious questions about how deep this nexus runs,” the state BJP chief said.

“As Chief Minister, @siddaramaiah would have received intelligence reports pinpointing the suspected ministers and their involvement. Any attempt by the government to shield those responsible will only backfire, especially with the CBI now stepping in. The truth will come out, and any cover-up will only further expose the government’s complicity in this grievous offence,” Mr Vijayendra added.

“As the Kannada saying goes, “A cat may think the world won’t notice if it drinks milk with its eyes closed” – but @inckarnataka government must not fall into such an illusion! The people are watching, and justice must be served,” he said.

Karnataka Home Minister’s Response

Responding to questions on BY Vijayendra’s allegations that Ranya Rao contacted two state ministers after she was caught, state Home Minister G Parameshwara said, “Now this has been handed over to CBI. Let the CBI come out with their findings. Till then, this is speculation.”

Asked about the land allotment to the actor during the BJP regime, he said, “Even that has to be found out. I was told this was allotted when the BJP was in power. Let them (CBI) find out.”

The CBI is now investigating the sensational case that came to light after a Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) team stopped Ranya Rao at the Bengaluru airport last week and recovered gold bars weighing 14 kg.

DRI has said in court that it is a matter concerning national security. The CBI has now joined the probe. Ranya Rao, who is the stepdaughter of senior IPS officer K Ramachandra Rao, is currently in DRI’s custody and is being questioned.

How Ranya Rao Was Caught

Ranya Rao was one step away from clearing airport security at Bengaluru airport when a DRI team intercepted her and recovered the gold bars. The 33-year-old actor, who started her career with 2014 Kannada film Maanikya, had flown in from Dubai on an Emirates flight last Monday. “Upon examination, gold bars weighing 14.2 kg were found ingeniously concealed on person. The contraband, valued at Rs 12.56 crore was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962,” a DRI statement said.

The search then moved to her home on Bengaluru’s Lavelle Road and the investigators found more there. “Following the interception, DRI officers conducted a search at her residential premises located at Lavelle Road, Bengaluru, where she resides with her husband. The search resulted in the seizure of gold jewelry worth Rs. 2.06 crore and Indian currency amounting to Rs. 2.67 crore,” the DRI said.

The Immigration department categorised Ranya Rao as a frequent traveller to foreign countries. On December 24 last year, she went to Dubai and returned to Bengaluru on December 27. She visited the US on January 18 and returned on January 25. Between February 2 and March 3, Ranya Rao visited Dubai five times.

The frequent overseas travel sparked suspicion and put her on the authorities’ radar. She made as many as 27 trips to Dubai last year and this brought her under the DRI’s lens.