New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday accused the Tamil Nadu government of being "dishonest" and doing a U-turn on the implementation of the new National Education Policy (NEP), drawing a sharp retort from DMK and other Opposition parties which alleged that he had hurt the state's pride. After protests and brief adjournment in the Lok Sabha, Pradhan with-drew certain words he had used for Tamil Nadu MPs and urged the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government to rise above political interests for the benefit of students.

The BJP stepped up its attack on the DMK, accusing it of opposing the NEP and delimitation out of fear of losing assembly elections due next year. The Centre and the DMK government have been engaged in a heated exchange over the issue, with the DMK alleging that the BJP was imposing Hindi on the southern state through the NEP.

Replying to a question on the PM SHRI scheme in the Lok Sabha, Pra-dhan said the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has changed its stand on implementing the Centrally-sponsored scheme which envisaged strengthening the schools managed by central, state or local bodies. The state concerned has to sign an MoU with the central government that it would implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and in return, the Central government provides the funds.

"The Tamil Nadu government had initially agreed to sign the MoU. But now they have changed the stand. Many non-BJP-ruled states, includ-ing Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, have signed the agreement," he said.

Pradhan said: "They are dishonest and they are ruining the future of the students of Tamil Nadu. They are doing politics". The minister said at one point of time, the government of Tamil Nadu had agreed to the PM SHRI scheme and several (DMK) MPs, who came to see him, con-veyed this to him. "But when they went back, they made a U-Turn. They are doing mischief with the lives of the students. They are mis-leading the people and doing injustice to the students of Tamil Nadu. They are undemocratic...," he alleged.

Pradhan said Chief Minister Stalin had also agreed initially "but sud-denly some super CM appeared and they took a U-Turn. They just want to do politics". Taking exception to the minister's remarks, the DMK members raised slogans against the central government. Speaker Om Birla asked the agitating members to return to their seats and allow the House to function normally but the DMK members ig-nored his pleas and continued their protests. After some time, Birla ad-journed the House till 12 noon. When the House reassembled at noon, DMK member Kanimozhi told the House that she was "very pained and hurt" by a particular word used by the minister.