Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after the latter accused him of creating regional and language-based divides.
Reacting to Yogi’s criticism, Stalin took to social media platform X to say that his government is not “opposing any language”, only “imposition and chauvinism”.
“This isn’t riot-for-votes politics. This is a battle for dignity and justice,” he wrote.
In an interview to ANI released on YouTube Wednesday, Yogi had said that Stalin was trying to “create divisions” as he felt his vote bank was “at risk”.
“The country should not be divided on the basis of language or region. We are grateful to Prime Minister Modi ji for organising the third generation of the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam in Varanasi,” Yogi told ANI.
He added, “Every Indian has respect and reverence for Tamil because many elements of Indian heritage are still alive in the language. So, why should we hate Hindi?”
He also questioned why Hindi cannot be taught in Tamil Nadu’s universities, if Tamil, Telegu and other languages can be taught in Uttar Pradesh. “I say that we should learn every language. We teach Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam at the universities in Uttar Pradesh. We are not only teaching these languages, but we are also teaching foreign languages at the universities in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Yogi had also taken a dig at Stalin for raking up a row over delimitation. Yogi called the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s concerns “political agenda”.
Reacting to the remarks, Stalin wrote on X: “Tamil Nadu’s fair and firm voice on #TwoLanguagePolicy and #FairDelimitation is echoing nationwide—and the BJP is clearly rattled. Just watch their leaders’ interviews. And now Hon’ble Yogi Adityanath wants to lecture us on hate? Spare us. This isn’t irony—it’s political black comedy at its darkest.”
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s deputy general secretary and MP Kanimozhi also reacted, saying that Yogi’s comments were “unnecessary”.
“The UP chief minister made unnecessary comments about the three-language policy and issues of Tamil Nadu, which I don’t think he has any reason to comment about. Let him first get his own house in order,” Kanimozhi told media persons.
She added, “Tamil Nadu has always been inclusive in politics. Two-language formula is not something Tamils have been fighting for now, we have been fighting for it since the 1930s. We have been very clear that we will not accept three-language formula, and there is nothing new about it.”
Kanimozhi went on to slam the Centre for trying to impose the three-language formula under National Education Policy.
“We did not start this issue. When our Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan funds were not released, the Union minister said the funds will be released only if we implement the New Education Policy and three-language formula. That’s when we have to respond to it,” she told media persons in Delhi.
Asked about Yogi’s remark that Stalin was playing divisive politics, she said that it was the “biggest joke”.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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