A political firestorm has erupted in Tamil Nadu after a claim about a proposed bill to “ban Hindi” in the state, leading to a sharp exchange between BJP leader K. Annamalai and DMK MP Wilson, with the state’s official fact-check unit caught in the middle.
The controversy began when Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu BJP chief, posted on X, contrasting the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s announcement of a multi-billion dollar Google investment with what he termed the Tamil Nadu government’s priority of “tabling a bill & Ban Hindi.”
AP CM: Signed a landmark agreement with Google to set up a $15 billion AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam.
TN CM: Let’s table a bill & Ban Hindi in our State. Yo!
DMK and their Pathetic politics & misplaced priorities, sigh!
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 15, 2025
In response, DMK MP Wilson strongly refuted the claim, calling it “fake news” and citing a clarification from the TN government’s fact-check handle, @tn_factcheck. Wilson accused Annamalai of ignorance, highlighting the “lakhs of crores” of investments attracted by the DMK government’s “Dravida Model” and pointing to a recent Hitachi expansion announcement.
He wrote, “This is what happens when one is an “Aandh Bhakt” (using a Hindi word because that’s what the TN sanghis seem to crave”). Not only is this claim of an anti-Hindi Bill fake news (as clarified by the TN fact check department @tn_factcheck) but has Mr. Annamalai been living under a rock? Does he not know about the lakhs of crores of foreign investment attracted by the #DravidaModel Government of our Hon. CM @mkstalin? 893 MoUs with domestic and international companies have been signed since 2021, attracting investments of about ₹10,07,974 crore and creating 31,53,862 jobs in TN. Our Hon. Industries Minister @TRBRajaa is every other day announcing the arrival of new investors into Tamil Nadu! Just today he announced that Hitachi plans a ₹2000 crore expansion in TN! Mr. Annamalai should atleast follow his twitter page! Ignorance is not always bliss.”
Annamalai’s “₹200 Oopie” Retort and Media Evidence
Annamalai hit back with a sharp personal retort, referencing the alleged “₹200 Oopie” (a term for a cash handout) and accusing Wilson of “crawling out of his cave” after a “recent humiliation in the Supreme Court.”
Crucially, he fact-checked the fact-checkers. Annamalai posted a screenshot from Dinakaran, a newspaper owned by the DMK’s first family, which had published a report about the proposed anti-Hindi bill. He dismissed the TN Fact Check unit as an “extended arm of your party’s propaganda machinery” and accused the DMK of “testing the water” by publishing the news and then backtracking to divert from other issues. Sharing a screenshot of Dinakaran’s news item, he wrote, “Thiru Wilson, given your charges, we cannot call you a 200 Rupee Oopie, as the nincompoops who receive it might object to it. However, it is noticeable that you’ve crawled out of your cave after the recent humiliation in the Supreme Court. TN Fact Check is an extended arm of your party’s propaganda machinery, and no one takes it seriously, and you shouldn’t too. You tested the water by publishing this news in your Gopalapuram family’s newspaper and later backtracked. All to divert the humiliations in court, possibly! Regarding the announcements made by the Industries Minister, we should rather wait for the companies to confirm them, given your government’s recent track record. And, please update us on the 6,000 crore rupee investment from Dubai when you have it. Been waiting for it for 2 years now!”
Thiru Wilson, given your charges, we cannot call you a 200 Rupee Oopie, as the nincompoops who receive it might object to it. However, it is noticeable that you’ve crawled out of your cave after the recent humiliation in the Supreme Court.
TN Fact Check is an extended arm of… https://t.co/B12F3jo3A9 pic.twitter.com/yXn0foNiMj
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 15, 2025
Official Denial and Contradictory DMK Voices
The TN Fact Check unit had officially labeled the rumor of a Hindi ban bill as “completely false,” quoting the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly who stated, “No proposal for such a bill has been received.”
However, this denial stands in stark contrast to public statements from several DMK leaders. MP Saravanan Annadurai had voiced support for the proposed bill, posting, “When there is Hindi imposition, there will be opposition to it… Protecting our land, language, and pride is our duty”, in response to a question about how the bill could be constitutionally validated.
Other DMK leaders were also reported to have welcomed the idea of the bill, creating a clear contradiction between the party’s public rhetoric and the official government denial.
For all the 🤡 out there, perhaps listen to some reactions from this morning when DMK leaders were offering one reaction after another WELCOMING the bill 🤡 https://t.co/G8kWtxM2gZ
— Akshita Nandagopal (@Akshita_N) October 15, 2025
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