Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 4 (HBTV): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday reiterated his demand to stop the alleged imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu and other southern states, arguing that these states have never insisted that northern states learn their languages.

Stalin pointed out that while the 'Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha' was established to promote Hindi learning in southern states, no 'Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabha' was ever set up in northern India to promote Tamil or other South Indian languages.

Taking to social media platform X, Stalin wrote, 'A century has passed since the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was set up to make South Indians learn Hindi. How many Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabhas have been established in North India in all these years? Truth is, we never demanded that North Indians must learn Tamil or any South Indian language to "preserve" them. All we ask is to #StopHindiImposition on us. If BJP-ruled states want to teach three languages or even 30, let them! Just leave Tamil Nadu alone!'

Earlier, on March 3, Stalin questioned why southern students were required to learn a third language if students in northern India were being taught only two languages.

In a post on X, he stated, 'Some guardians of lopsided policies, wailing in great concern, ask, "Why are you denying Tamil Nadu students the opportunity to learn a third language?" Well, why don't they first say which third language is being taught up north? If they had just taught two languages properly there, where's the need for us to learn a third?'

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also strongly opposed the central government's alleged attempts to impose Hindi on the state. He declared that Tamil Nadu would never accept the New Education Policy (NEP) or Hindi imposition in any form.

Stalin reiterated that Tamil Nadu rejects the NEP, delimitation, and Hindi imposition. He accused the central government of attempting to impose Hindi 'sideways' through the NEP.

Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan defended the NEP, stating that the policy aims to promote all Indian languages equally.

Speaking in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, Pradhan said, 'The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 should give importance to Indian languages. All Indian languages have equal rights and should be taught uniformly. This is the objective of the NEP. Some people in Tamil Nadu are opposing it for political purposes. We have not said anywhere in the NEP that only Hindi will be taught.'

The Tamil Nadu government has strongly opposed the implementation of the NEP 2020, particularly its three-language formula, alleging that the Centre is trying to impose Hindi.

(ANI)