The state-run hostels for underprivileged school and college students will henceforth be called "social justice hostels," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced on Monday.

The BJP, however, questioned the chief minister's concern for students and asked if he ever visited any hostels, while the Tamil nationalist party Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) dismissed the renaming as mere political rhetoric.

There would not be discrimination of any kind, including gender or caste under the DMK rule, which was based on the principle of social justice and inclusion, Stalin said in a statement here and asserted that the state government's programmes were all oriented towards this lofty goal.

“School and college hostels for students being operated by various departments across Tamil Nadu will henceforth be called social justice hostels. There won’t be any sort of discrimination,” the chief minister said in the statement.

He recalled that he had in the state Assembly announced that the term 'colony' used to refer to a particular caste would be removed from official records. "Since it has become a symbol of dominance, a symbol of untouchability and a slang word, steps will be taken to remove this word from government documents and public domain, I had announced," he said.

Stalin reiterated his plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to amend the SC/ST community names ending with 'N' and 'A' to replace with 'R' to restore dignity.

He further said that a government order was issued on behalf of the School Education Department on June 25, stipulating measures to prevent caste and communal conflict, and differences among school students and develop harmony and virtues among them.

The state government constituted a commission under retired High Court judge, Justice K Chandru to study ways to prevent caste conflicts in schools and the panel made various very important recommendations, including removing caste prefixes and suffixes in school names, which the government accepted.

There are 2,739 government hostels throughout the state accommodating 1,79,568 students and they are being run by Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, besides Backward Classes and Minority Welfare Department.

BJP leader and union minister L Murugan asked: "Is it enough if the hostels for SC and ST students are named as social justice hostels." "Did the chief minister visit any of those hostels," the minister of State for Information and Broadcasting asked.

Speaking to reporters here he said if Stalin had real concern for the hostel students, then he would allocate funds and improve the amenities.

"The chief minister is staging a big farce. He is trying to fool everyone by naming the hostel for SC and ST students as social justice hostel. When I was Deputy Chairman of the SC Commission, I visited every hostel," Murugan said.

During his visit, he found that the hostels were 'poor' and students had a bad experience. Stalin should visit the hostels in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is ruling, to see the extent to which the facilities were provided.

"He should visit the hostels in Karnataka and Telangana. There are no basic facilities in Tamil Nadu....last week, the students of the Chennai Law College took to the streets to protest against poor conditions at their hostel," Murugan said.

The Central Minister alleged that the DMK was talking about social justice despite untouchability still existing in many villages in the state.

BJP's former state president K Annamalai said in a post on the social media platform 'X' that the government hostels were in a state of disrepair and collapse due to lack of proper maintenance.

Students have repeatedly complained that quality food and clean drinking water are not provided in the hostels, he said. Annamalai alleged that the DMK government has been returning the funds provided by the Centre for the development of the Adi Dravidar community every year, without spending on improving Adi Dravidar schools and hostels.

"Changing the name of the hostels is mere publicity. The DMK government has not spent even one per cent of its expenditure on advertising for the welfare of students," he alleged.

NTK chief coordinator Seeman, who flayed Stalin, asked him to first explain what social justice meant and then name the hostels.

"Social justice hostel is mere rhetoric. Social justice will prevail only after dignity is restored to those who have been ostracised and denied opportunities," he said.

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