The allegation surfaced after Bharathidasan posted a 3‑minute clip on Instagram, claiming the Tamil Nadu Social Justice Department had stalled the release of the second‑year portion of his ₹36 lakh annual scholarship.
The scholar, pursuing tissue engineering at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said that the delay threatened his research and could lead to his dismissal by the university.
Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu denied harassment, citing that the delay was due to pending verification of expenditure claims, and that ₹12 lakh of the second‑year allotment had already been transferred.
Under the Annal Ambedkar Overseas Education Scholarship, the state has increased beneficiaries from 35 in 2023‑24 to 181 in 2025‑26, with an allocation of ₹131 crore for 365 students this year.
Former Chief Minister MK Stalin supported the scholar, demanding clarification from CM Vijay Kumar, while the ministry accused the case of being politically motivated.
The department has written to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for confirmation of the claimed expenses, and will release the remaining ₹19.5 lakh once the university submits the required recommendation.