"Resorting To Cheap Politics": BJP Hits Out At DMK Over Language Row

The BJP's Tamil Nadu chief, K Annamalai, on Saturday accused the ruling DMK government of "doing politics" over Hindi and Tamil languages after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remark that Hindi must be accepted and embraced by one and all without any opposition triggered a war of words between the two parties.

On state minister and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin condemning Amit Shah's statement, advocating the acceptance of Hindi as a medium of communication, Annamalai said, "Stalin knows neither Hindi nor English. So he didn't understand what Amit Shah said."

The BJP state chief said Amit Shah made it very clear that education in all states should be imparted in the mother tongue.

"DMK is still resorting to cheap politics on Hindi and Tamil languages. Stalin and his ministers have nothing else to talk about and have, hence, resorted to making statements on matters without understanding them," Annamalai said at a rally in Madurai on Saturday.

Earlier, on Friday, Union Home Minister, presiding over the 38th meeting of the Committee of Parliament on Official Language in New Delhi, said Hindi must be accepted without opposition even if the pace of the acceptance is slow, according to media reports.

Amit Shah added that Hindi was not in competition with other languages and the country will be enriched and empowered if all Indian languages are promoted and accepted.

In response, Chief Minister MK Stalin said they wouldn't be "enslaved" by Hindi.

"I strongly denounce Union Home Minister @AmitShah's audacious push for Hindi acceptance. It's a blatant attempt to subjugate non-Hindi speakers. Tamil Nadu rejects any form of Hindi hegemony and imposition. Our language and heritage define us - we won't be enslaved by Hindi!," Stalin tweeted on Saturday.

While calling for the acceptance of Hindi, the Union Home Minister and the BJP stalwart pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invokes Tamil pride on his overseas visits.

Annamalai said he was certain that the DMK will not fare well in next year's general elections and will, in fact, end up losing the polls.

On Supreme Court staying the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case over the use of the surname 'Modi', he said it was good that the decks have been cleared for the Congress leader to return to the Parliament.

"The more Rahul Gandhi speaks in Parliament, the better it will be for the Bharatiya Janata Party as we will only get stronger," the BJP leader said, in a jibe at the Congress leader.

Further, accusing the ruling party in the state of "looting" resources meant for public good, Annamalai said, "(Minister) Senthil Balaji, who is in prison (in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam) is still being paid a salary. If the DMK ministers bring out all the money they have looted, the debt of Tamil Nadu, as well as the country, could be paid off."

He also hit out at CM Stalin for not raising the Cauvery water dispute, a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, during the second Opposition meeting in Congress-ruled Karnataka.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)