TN Minister Keerthana Denies Mocking Government School Student
In a post on X, Keerthana, who identifies herself as a former government school student, said the video in question was not recorded by her and was footage captured by the media
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Virudhai Magal Keerthana on Tuesday responded to a viral video being circulated online, rejecting claims that she had "mocked a government school student" and saying the criticism was in fact directed at millions of Tamil-medium and government school students across the state.
In a post on X, Keerthana, who identifies herself as a former government school student, said the video in question was not recorded by her and was footage captured by the media.
"Today, some people are spreading a false story that 'he mocked a government school student. Do you know what the truth is? I myself am a government school student. I myself studied in a Tamil-medium education. Those who mock me today for my English are, in reality, not mocking just me... they are mocking government school students like me, and millions of children studying in the Tamil medium," she said.
Keerthana added, "I studied math, science, and social science in school entirely in Tamil. I didn't have the opportunity to study French as a second language, nor the means to attend a high-end private school."She said her struggles began when she entered the corporate world. "When I entered the corporate world, I stumbled in English. I made mistakes. I learned. I'm still learning. And I have no shame in that," she added.
Keerthana asked those mocking her online to consider the wider consequences of their actions."Those who gang up online today to mock me for my English--who can guarantee that tomorrow they won't similarly humiliate a government school student who stumbles in English, or a Tamil-medium student, in the exact same way?," she wrote on X.
Asserting that building confidence among Tamil-medium students was central to her purpose, Keerthana said, "A government school student should stand on the world stage. A Tamil-medium student should be able to hold her head high and speak on any platform. Creating that environment is my purpose. Criticise me. Question my work. But don't mock the self-confidence of an entire generation."The minister also clarified that she had not recorded the video being circulated online, saying it was footage captured by the media.
"Furthermore, I didn't record that video being circulated. It was footage captured by the media. I didn't ask anyone to take photos. Gathering news is the media's job. If you want to know the truth, ask them. One more question... How many of the children of the politicians mocking me today--and those supporting them--are actually studying in government schools, in the Tamil medium?" Keerthana added.
She also questioned the background of her critics and said, "For those who don't trust government schools, it's easy to mock a woman who studied in one. But the fact that this woman from that government school stands here today--that's my response."The remarks came after the Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, on Monday launched a sharp attack on Industries Minister S Keerthana over her recent visit to a government school near Sivakasi, alleging that she humiliated a student under the guise of testing the child's English language skills.