Pawan Kalyan Clarifies Stance in Hindi Language Debate Amid TN-Center Tensions

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan clarified his position on the Hindi language debate, stating he opposes compulsory imposition but supports language choice as per the NEP 2020. He criticized Tamil Nadu politicians' 'hypocrisy' in opposing Hindi yet dubbing movies into the language for profit.

Amid ongoing tensions between the central government and Tamil Nadu over language policy, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan has clarified his stance in the Hindi language debate. Kalyan stated that he does not oppose Hindi but objects to its compulsory imposition as suggested by some narratives.

In a statement on X, he highlighted the flexibility offered by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which allows students to select from several Indian languages, including their mother tongue, alongside a foreign language. This stance aims to counter misinformation suggesting NEP imposes Hindi, which he criticized as misleading public opinion and harming national unity.

Kalyan's remarks included criticism of Tamil Nadu politicians, whom he accused of hypocrisy for opposing Hindi while permitting Tamil films to be dubbed in Hindi for profit. His comments come amid a controversy with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who has accused the union government of imposing Hindi and rejected the three-language formula proposed in the NEP.

(With inputs from agencies.)