New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday slammed the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for opposing the three-language formula, asserting that no attempt should be made to divide the nation based on language. He also accused the Tamil Nadu government of lacking the resolve to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil.
Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the functioning of his ministry, Shah announced that starting in December, he will communicate in the respective languages of citizens, chief ministers, and members of Parliament.
“I want to send a strong message to those who try to divide the country in the name of language. Under the Department of Official Languages, the Narendra Modi government has established an Indian Languages Section to promote all Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, and Bengali. After December, my official correspondence with citizens, CMs, ministers, and MPs will be in their respective languages,” he said.
Calls out DMK for politicizing language issue
Without naming DMK, Shah alleged that the party was using the language debate to divert attention from corruption scandals.
“This is a strong response to those who exploit linguistic sentiments to cover up their corruption. They claim we oppose southern languages—how is that possible? I come from Gujarat, Nirmala Sitharaman is from Tamil Nadu—how can we be against southern languages?” Shah remarked.
He also reiterated that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power in Tamil Nadu, it will ensure medical and engineering courses are available in Tamil.
“For two years, we have been urging the Tamil Nadu government to translate medical and engineering study materials into Tamil, but they lack the courage to do so. If an NDA government comes to power in Tamil Nadu, we will make this a reality,” he said.
‘Hindi is a friend to all Indian languages’
Addressing concerns over Hindi’s role, Shah emphasized that Hindi does not compete with any other Indian language but instead complements them.
“I want to tell those who create divisions in the name of language that they admire languages from thousands of kilometres away but refuse to accept their own Indian languages. Hindi does not compete with any Indian language—it is a friend to all, and all Indian languages strengthen one another,” he said.
BJP to expose DMK’s ‘wrongdoings’
Shah also vowed that the BJP would expose the DMK’s alleged misdeeds by reaching out to the people at the grassroots level.
The standoff between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the implementation of the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has persisted, with Tamil Nadu remaining firm in its opposition to the policy.
