Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 19 (ANI): Former Telangana Governor and BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday rejected the DMK government's allegation that the Centre is imposing Hindi.
"Repeatedly, they (DMK) wanted to portray as if the central government is imposing Hindi. Actually, the Hindu Banaras University-Tamil chair has been formed. In Maharashtra, a port has been named after Rajendra Chola and his statue has been installed," Soundararajan told ANI.
"The Prime Minister has taken Tamil into other states also. One question I am asking Stalin, the CM, the Sengol is the symbol of exclusive Tamil tradition. It is installed in the parliament where other state MPs also come and debate. What honour did they give for that?" she added.
Soundararajan wondered why the DMK was against the three-language policy.
"The three-language policy is not learning Hindi. The three-language policy is learning any other language than the mother tongue. Why they are opposing? The other state's people have started learning Tamil, so why can't you allow people to learn other languages?" she said.
On Friday, MK Stalin raised concerns over linguistic diversity and representation and strongly condemned the celebration of the Hindi Month valedictory function along with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Chennai Doordarshan.
Stalin also condemned the distorted rendition of the State anthem, without the reference to the glory of "Dravida" land, at the DD function in which Governor RN Ravi participated.
Stalin blamed the Governor for the distorted rendition, alleging that it was the latter's "deliberate disrespect" to Tamil Nadu and its people.
Stalin also wondered if Ravi was the "Governor" or an "Aryan". Following these remarks, the Governor accused the Chief Minister of making racist remarks against him.
"Hon'ble Chief Minister Thiru.@mkstalin has issued a regrettable tweet this evening in which he made a racist remark against me and levelled false allegation of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu... Making racist remark and alleging incorrect imputations against governor by the chief minister is unfortunately cheap and lowers the dignity of the high constitutional office of the chief minister," the Governor said in a post from the X handle of Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan.
MK Stalin said that Tamil language is the race and lifeblood of Dravidians, and said that if racism is the mother tongue of this land, then it is his pride.
"A few questions for the Hon'ble Governor, who has responded to my strong criticism for not singing the line 'Dekkanamum Ittishita Dravidanal Tirunadum' in Tamil at the closing ceremony of the Hindi Month celebration. Shouldn't you, who say 'I will sing Tamil greetings with full devotion', immediately condemn them for not completing the song? the TN CM posted on X.
"You have said 'It is unfortunately cheap for a Chief Minister to make racist comments against a Governor with false allegations'. Governor, Tamil is our race! It is our lifeblood! Tamils are the ones who gave their lives to save the Tamil language. It is the soil that laid the foundations of the First Constitutional Amendment and bears the histories of the Indian anti-imposition struggle. If racism is the mother tongue of this land, it is our pride," he added.
MK Stalin also alleged that the central government had not done enough for the development of the Tamil language. (ANI)