AYUSH secy reacts to Hindi language row, says meet 'sabotaged' by uninvited participants

Reacting to the Hindi language row, AYUSH Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha on Saturday said that the video clip that went viral about his statement 'non-hindi speaking participants' can leave the online conference' was sabotaged by some uninvited participants.

In an interview with CNN-News18, Kotecha revealed that the Ministry arranged for a nationwide training program for yoga and 350 people from different state governments were expected to participate. The online conference was attended by an additional 60 to 70 people who were not expected, he said. As soon as he started to speak, these uninvited participants created disturbance by shouting. There was some manipulation; they came in and wanted to sabotage everything, Kotecha added.

'Only a particular portion of the video is being circulated'

Explaining further Kotecha said he informed the participants that he will speak in both languages, Hindi and English. He said that North Indian attendees requested him to speak in Hindi. The hooligans started shouting 'only English' to which he responded that he will speak in both languages. They were not ready to listen, he said. He further claimed that only a particular portion of the video was being circulated online and made into a controversy.

He also alleged that some group has manipulated the issue and said some people with vested interests barged in and this issue has been manipulated by them.

READ | Kamal Haasan slams AYUSH Ministry over language row, says 'this is not a Hindi govt'

Controversy over Kotecha's remark

Kotecha's remark sparked controversy after a video clip showed him asking participants who did not know Hindi to leave from a national training session organised online by the Ministry of AYUSH and Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga for Master Trainers of Yoga. It was held between August 18 and August 20. In videos circulating online, the secretary can be heard saying, “I have got information that, for the past two days, there has been an issue people can leave I don't speak English very well. So, I will speak in Hindi.”

READ | DMK's Kanimozhi calls for disciplinary action against AYUSH official over language row

Tamil Nadu doctors and politicians react

Meanwhile, the doctors from Tamil Nadu on Saturday has written a formal letter of complaint to the Ministry of AYUSH flagging quality issues in training and discrimination for not knowing Hindi. Political leaders in Tamil Nadu on Saturday condemned the action and demanded disciplinary action against the AYUSH Secretary.

Furthermore, DMK MP Kanimozhi demanded Kotecha's suspension for his remarks. She has also written to Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik on the imposition of Hindi.

Kanimozhi in a tweet said, "The statement of Secretary of the Union Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha that non-Hindi speaking participants could leave during a Ministry's training session speaks volumes about the Hindi domination being imposed. This is highly condemnable.” 

READ | 'I've experienced similar taunts': Chidambaram chimes in amid Kanimozhi's language row

READ | Kamal Haasan slams AYUSH Ministry over language row, says 'this is not a Hindi govt'