Nirmala Sitharaman faces backlash as old posts show use of 'ரூ' symbol
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New Delhi: The BJP, which criticised the Tamil Nadu government for replacing the official rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil letter 'ரூ' in the logo for the 2025-26 state budget, is now facing backlash after old social media posts of its own leaders using the same symbol surfaced.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had accused the DMK-led government of promoting separatism under the guise of regionalism. However, journalist and Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair shared screenshots of her 2017 post where she had used the Tamil 'ரூ' symbol multiple times.
Similarly, BJP Tamil Nadu president Annamalai, who had questioned the DMK government over the issue and called it an insult to the national rupee symbol, was also found to have used 'ரூ' in several posts, including tweets from 2023 and last year.
This controversy comes amid Tamil Nadu’s ongoing disputes with the Centre over issues like the push to make Hindi an official language. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had unveiled the budget logo featuring the Tamil rupee symbol along with hashtags 'Dravidian Model' and 'TN Budget 2025.'
But why ma'am why. pic.twitter.com/Xfh8yk9Nxb
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) March 13, 2025
Thiru @annamalai_k Why use 'ரூ' symbol in your tweets instead of ₹ rupee symbol sir? https://t.co/Fxls2yytjz pic.twitter.com/UXrUsz7fxW
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) March 13, 2025
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234 held in anti-drug operation in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 15 (PTI): The Kerala police on Saturday said as part of its special drive to crack down on individuals suspected of drug trafficking, 234 people were arrested, and varying quantities of several deadly narcotics, including MDMA, were seized.
The State Police Media Centre (SPMC) stated that on March 14, as part of the drive, D-Hunt, authorities inspected 2,362 individuals suspected of drug trafficking and arrested 234 of them.
The operation was carried out across the state to identify and take strict legal action against those involved in the storage and distribution of banned drugs.
Police registered 222 cases related to the possession of various prohibited substances, according to a statement issued by the SPMC.
Additionally, authorities seized 0.0119 kg of MDMA, 6.171 kg of cannabis, and 167 cannabis 'beedis' from those arrested.
Operation D-Hunt is being jointly implemented by the Range-based NDPS Coordination Cell and District Police Chiefs under the leadership of State Anti-Narcotics Task Force Head and ADGP (Law and Order) Manoj Abraham, following the instructions of State Police Chief Dr Sheikh Darvesh Sahib, the statement said.
The SPMC also announced that a 24-hour Anti-Narcotics Control Room (9497927797) has been set up to receive information from the public regarding drug-related activities.
The details of individuals who contact this number will be kept confidential, it added.
Furthermore, the operation will continue in the coming days through sustained surveillance and the creation of a database of individuals regularly involved in drug-related activities and transactions.
