Chennai, Apr 21 (Reporter) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assertion that only Marathi is compulsory in the state after massive backlash over imposition of Hindi as the third language is a clear manifestation of his trepidation, his Tamil Nadu counterpart and DMK President M K Stalin said on Monday. He said the remarks of Mr Fadnavis was a clear manifestation of his trepidation over the widespread public condemnation against imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States. Seeking a clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on this, Mr Stalin sought to know whether the Union Government officially endorsed his position that no language other than Marathi is compulsory in Maharashtra as the third language under the National Education Policy (NEP). It it was so, Mr Stalin also asked the Centre to issue a clear directive to all states affirming that the NEP does not require the compulsory teaching of a third language. He also asked whether the Union Government will release the Rs. 2,152 crore due funds under the SSA scheme for the school education sector it had unjustly withheld for Tamil Nadu on the premise that the state must subscribe to the teaching of a mandatory third language under the NEP, which TN has been opposing on the ground that it was an attempt to impose Hindi in the State and non-Hindi speaking states. Tamil Nadu has been steadfastly opposing the three-language formula right from the days of DMK Founder and former CMs C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi and has vowed to continue with the long followed two-language policy by overcoming all the obstacles. Almost all the political parties in the State, including the main Opposition AIADMK (barring the BJP, with whom it had revived its electoral ties), were on the same page with the DMK government on the issue and vowed to protect the existing two-language policy. In a post on X, Mr Stalin wrote "Facing a massive backlash for imposing Hindi as the third language, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis now claims that only Marathi is compulsory in the state." "This is a clear manifestation of his trepidation over the widespread public condemnation against imposition of Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States", he added. "Hon'ble PM and Union Education Minister must clarify: Does the Union Government officially endorse his position that no language other than Marathi is compulsory in Maharashtra as the third language under National Education Policy (#NEP)?", he posted. " If so, will the Union government issue a clear directive to all states affirming that the NEP does not require the compulsory teaching of a third language?", Mr Stalin asked. "Will the Union Government release the Rs. 2,152 crore it unjustly withheld for Tamil Nadu on the premise that the state must subscribe to the teaching of a mandatory third language?", he added...////...