Amid the escalating language debate between the Union government and Tamil Nadu, Janasena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday made a strong pitch for linguistic diversity, insisting that India "needs multiple languages, including Tamil, not just two." His remarks came during the party's 12th foundation day celebrations in Andhra Pradesh's Pithapuram town.
Addressing party workers in Kakinada district, Kalyan underscored the importance of embracing linguistic plurality to preserve national unity. "India needs multiple languages, including Tamil, not just two. We must embrace linguistic diversity -- not only to maintain the integrity of our nation but also to foster love and unity among its people," he said.
Kalyan’s comments follow Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s sharp criticism of the Union government over alleged 'Hindi imposition' and his opposition to the National Education Policy's (NEP) three-language formula.
Without directly naming the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Kalyan took a swipe at Tamil Nadu politicians for what he described as double standards on Hindi. "I do not understand why some criticize Sanskrit. Why do Tamil Nadu politicians oppose Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gain? They want money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi -- what kind of logic is that?" he questioned.
Earlier on Friday, Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai also weighed in on the controversy, defending the three-language policy while emphasizing that no language should be forced upon the people.
"We are continuously saying that there is a need for a third language. More than 14 lakh people have signed in the signature language. People of Tamil Nadu don't want a compulsory third language which is pushed on them, like Hindi -- which Congress did in 1965," Annamalai told ANI.
He further accused the DMK of hypocrisy, claiming that while government schools avoid teaching Hindi, private schools run by DMK leaders include it in their curriculum. "People willingly want to learn a third language, which is optional. Tamil Nadu is ready; only the DMK is not ready. All the private schools run by the DMK teach a third language; they teach Hindi. Why do they not want the Government school students to learn a third language?" he asked.