Opposition comes out all guns blazing, targets BJP over calling Hindi ‘uniting language’

On the occasion of Hindi Diwas, DMK leader TKS Elangovan questioned as to how Hindi can be a uniting force. Elangovan was referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah who stated that “Hindi is the name for unifying the diversity of languages of India, the world’s largest democracy.”

Hitting out at Amit Shah, the DMK spokesperson said that the Union Home Minister is “insulting” the people who speak other languages.

“How can Hindi be a uniting force? Only seven states speak Hindi. We have our own language so what is the purpose of imposing Hindi? Amit Shah is insulting the people who speak other languages,” he said while speaking to news agency ANI on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. 

Hindi Diwas is celebrated to commemorate the day on which the Hindi language was adopted as one of the official languages of the Republic of India in 1949. 

"India consists of 28 states whereas only seven states speak Hindi, remaining states speak some other language...Language is not the uniting force of India...It is the privy purse which united India,” DMK leader TKS Elangovan added. 

Talk-of-the-town Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin too lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement calling Hindi as the one uniting the diversity of all languages. 

“I strongly condemn the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah claiming that Hindi is the uniting force of India and it is empowering other regional languages. Hindi is spoken only in four or five states in the country and hence the statement of Amit Shah is totally absurd. It is only another version of imposing Hindi under the guise of generating livelihood,” the son of Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin wrote in a post on social platform X, formerly Twitter.

“While we are speaking Tamil here, Kerala speaks Malayalam. Where does Hindi merge with and empower us? Amit Shah should stop oppressing non-Hindi languages by calling them just regional languages. #StopHindiImposition,” the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader added.

Notably, Udhayanidhi Stalin has been a hot topic in the political circle after he called for the "eradication" of Sanatana Dharma, which sparked a massive row. 

BJP gives it back 

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was quick to respond to the allegations levelled by Stalin. 

Tamil Nadu BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy said, “He (Udhayanidhi Stalin) doesn't know anything, he has proved that by Sanatana Dharma and Hindi language issues...Amit Shah did not say anything wrong, he said Hindi empowers all languages and there is nothing wrong in that.”

"Hindi is our official language...Udhayanidhi Stalin is wrong...nobody can impose any language on anyone...Udhayanidhi Stalin doesn't have any maturity to talk about all these things," the BJP leader was quoted by ANI as saying.

Home Minister, Prime Minister extend wishes on Hindi Diwas 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended his wishes on the occasion of Hindi Diwas. 

"Hindi is the name for unifying the diversity of languages ​​of India, the world's largest democracy. From the independence movement till today, Hindi has played an important role in uniting the country,” he said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to X, formerly Twitter, and wished the nation. 

“Best wishes to all my family members on Hindi Diwas. I wish that Hindi language will continue to strengthen the thread of national unity and goodwill,” PM Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter.