Guwahati (Assam)

After Tamil Nadu introduced a new rupee 'Ru' symbol on its state budget, IIT Guwahati professor Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam, the designer of the official Indian rupee symbol, expressed surprise over the debate surrounding the change.

Speaking to ANI, Dharmalingam said that he doesn't have complete information about the reasons for this change, which he designed to represent India's cultural and economic identity.

"I don't have complete information behind the reasons of this change; probably, the state government has their own ways, views, and reasons to make the changes. I designed this 15 years ago when the Central government floated a competition and I won it, after which they implemented it and it's being widely used. I am really happy about being the designer of this symbol, but I never expected such a debate to ever occur," he said.

Dharmalingam, a professor at IIT Guwahati, designed the iconic Indian rupee symbol 15 years ago, in 2010. It was chosen from among 3,300 entries in a nationwide competition. The design, which combines the Devanagari letter "Ra" and the Roman letter "R," has become an integral part of India's currency and identity.

Notably, Kumar comes from a political background. His father, N Dharmalingam, was a former DMK MLA representing the Rishivandiyam constituency in Tamil Nadu.

"It just somehow took this turn, and now there are a lot of concerns going on about the symbol itself. There are reasons that they (Tamil Nadu government) might have," Dharmalingam said.

The Tamil Nadu government's introduction of the new rupee logo has sparked controversy. Earlier, Chief Minister MK Stalin released a video that showcased the logo for the Budget of 2025-26. In this logo, the national currency symbol has been substituted with the Tamil Alphabet 'Ru'.

The 2025-26 budget is set to be presented in the Tamil Nadu assembly on March 14. The step from the Tamil Nadu government ignited criticism from the Opposition leaders. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai said that CM Stalin's decision is not only condemnable but also laughable.

"In 2010, a Tamilian, Udaya Kumar's design which was a combination of Latin and Devnagri script was selected in a nation-level design contest. He was appreciated by Kalaignar Karunanidhi, the then Tamil Nadu CM. His son, CM MK Stalin, has found fault with it. In 2025, they want to change it because they said that they are against the Devanagri script. His father accepted it and a Tamilian gave this symbol. I am sure that the DMK fellows did not even know that a Tamilian gave this, and Udaya Kumar also happens to be the son of a former DMK MLA," he said.

Further sharpening his attacks, Annamalai said that the DMK has become a laughingstock across India.

"They are doing this to divert attention from other pressing public issues. Just now, ED conducted massive raids across TASMAC. They have found kickbacks of more than Rs 1000 crores. These are all major issues. These need to be discussed. DMK is hell-bent on discussing nonsensical issues. DMK is against Tamil interests; that is why they want to go against the design that a Tamil person gave...How will changing a symbol benefit all sections of Tamil society?" the state BJP Chief said.

Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President Narayanan Thirupathy hit out at Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.

Speaking to ANI, Thirupathy said "This is a childish act by MK Stalin, it is foolish and nonsense... the Rupee note was designed by Tamilian who was a DMK MLA and it was praised and well honoured by late M Karunaidhi and now his son suddenly comes and says that they will not accept it."

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BJP leader CR Kesavan stated that the decision of the DMK government showed their anti-federal nature.

Speaking to ANI, Kesavan said, "This absurd drama and ridiculous stunt by the DMK today of dropping the national currency symbol from its Budget shows their anti-federal nature. The DMK has insulted Tamil sentiment and Tamil pride because this national currency symbol was designed by a distinguished academic who hails from Tamil Nadu. The drama and the double game of the DMK are totally exposed in front of the country."