Chennai, July 7 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S. Keerthana on Tuesday strongly defended herself against criticism over her interaction with a student during a recent inspection at a government girls’ higher secondary school near Sivakasi, asserting that the controversy had been misrepresented and that the attacks against her amounted to insulting government school and Tamil-medium students.

The minister issued a detailed clarification through a post on her X account after facing criticism from Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin, former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, BJP state President Nainar Nagendran and several others over a video that went viral on social media.

The controversy stems from Keerthana’s visit to a government girls higher secondary school in Virudhunagar district last Thursday.

During the inspection, she interacted with a student and asked a teacher to converse with the girl in English. When the student struggled to respond, the Minister reportedly made remarks about the English-speaking abilities of students, particularly those seated on the last bench.

The video triggered criticism from political leaders and social media users, who accused her of embarrassing the student.

Responding to the allegations, Keerthana said the incident had been portrayed in a misleading manner and insisted that she had never intended to belittle any student. She said she herself had studied in a government school through the Tamil medium and therefore understood the challenges faced by students from similar backgrounds.

The minister said the criticism directed at her English proficiency was, in effect, ridicule aimed at lakhs of Tamil-medium students who did not have access to elite private schools or expensive educational opportunities.

Recalling her own educational journey, Keerthana said she had studied mathematics, science, and social science entirely in Tamil and did not have the privilege of learning foreign languages such as French or studying in high-end private institutions. She acknowledged that she initially struggled with English after entering the corporate sector but gradually improved through sustained effort.

Keerthana said learning was a continuous process and added that she was still working to improve her language skills. She maintained that there was no shame in learning and that her personal experience reflected the aspirations and struggles of many government school students across Tamil Nadu.

The minister reiterated that the controversy had been distorted and urged people not to judge government school students based on selective video clips or political narratives.

–IANS

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