📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Balajijagadesh
Politics
Tamil Nadu political row erupts over books in ₹300‑crore Coimbatore library
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 08 Nov 2026, 02:37 AM
👁 3
A dispute over the selection of books in the newly built ₹300‑crore library in Coimbatore has sparked accusations between the Tamil Vanniyam Katchi (TVK) and the ruling DMK.
The state government has inaugurated a state‑of‑the‑art public library in Coimbatore, built at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore. Designed to serve students, researchers and the general public, the facility houses a wide range of academic and literary resources.
Soon after its opening, a controversy emerged over a set of books that were either removed or deemed unsuitable by certain officials. Representatives of the Tamil Vanniyam Katchi (TVK) alleged that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had intervened to censor material, while DMK leaders countered that the books in question violated community standards.
Both parties have lodged formal complaints with the district administration, demanding a transparent review of the library’s acquisition policy. The dispute has drawn attention from civil‑society groups, who warn that political interference could undermine the library’s educational mission.
The issue is being monitored closely as it reflects broader tensions between regional parties over cultural and educational governance in Tamil Nadu.
Soon after its opening, a controversy emerged over a set of books that were either removed or deemed unsuitable by certain officials. Representatives of the Tamil Vanniyam Katchi (TVK) alleged that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had intervened to censor material, while DMK leaders countered that the books in question violated community standards.
Both parties have lodged formal complaints with the district administration, demanding a transparent review of the library’s acquisition policy. The dispute has drawn attention from civil‑society groups, who warn that political interference could undermine the library’s educational mission.
The issue is being monitored closely as it reflects broader tensions between regional parties over cultural and educational governance in Tamil Nadu.