Opposition's criticism of CA exam dates exposes habit of painting BJP anti-Tamil, says FM Nirmala

CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flayed the opposition parties claiming that their criticism of the BJP-led Union government over scheduling of CA exams by an autonomous body on Pongal day is hollow. She accused the DMK and the Left party of painting the Centre as ‘anti-Tamil’ whenever possible and quoting BJP state secretary SG Suryah's clarification over the scheduling of the exam.

Nirmala's response came after DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, the DMK's student wing president R Rajiv Gandhi and CPM Madurai MP Su Venkatesan criticised the central government and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for scheduling the CA foundation examination during the Pongal holidays.

BJP state secretary SG Suryah clarified the auspicious Pongal day is not restricted to Tamil Nadu alone, but instead celebrated under different names across India, such as Makara Sankranti, Lohri, and Bihu. He argued that labelling the BJP as ‘anti-Tamil’ in this context was wrong, as the exam is scheduled on a festival day across the country.

Suryah emphasised that the dates for CA exams are decided by an independent statutory body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), and not by the Union Ministry of Finance.

Meanwhile, the BJP was under attack for such a defence saying that the ICAI is formed by an Act of Parliament and ignoring festivals across various states shows insensitivity. Also, it was pointed out that ICAI had once postponed the CA exam as it fell on Deepavali day.

"Scheduling exams on Pongal day is a deliberate attack on Tamil identity and heritage," said DMK MP Kanimozhi. It shows the gross insensitivity of the Centre towards Tamil traditions and regional autonomy, she added, demanding an immediate postponement of the exam date.

Sharing the examination notification of ICAI on his social media handle, DMK student wing president Rajiv Gandhi criticised the central government, calling it "anti-Tamil" for scheduling the CA foundation examination on January 14 and 16, which coincides with the Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the ICAI Southern India Regional Council told DT Next that the ICAI has made changes to its exam schedule in the past, due to conflicts with other important events such as Lok Sabha elections.

"However, in this case, we have not yet decided anything regarding any rescheduling of the CA foundation examination," the official said.