Shah imposing Hindi, HDK tells Modi

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru:

Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in what he claimed was Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intention to destroy India’s regional languages.

He was referring to the 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, which was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in September, which critics claim seeks to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states.

Kumaraswamy warned that the move would weaken the country’s territorial integrity. “In this regard, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi should himself intervene in this matter and advice the home minister against this. It is not prudent to agitate us over language repeatedly. If you continue to do this, the unity and integrity of the country will be threatened. It is not possible for us to accept the report submitted by the home minister to the president,” he said.

He added that the BJP and Sangh’s alleged “one country, one language policy” was unrealistic and pointed out that states like West Bengal and Kerala had already registered their against the report. Tamil Nadu CM Stalin also protested against it, he said. Kumaraswamy dis - closed that the preparations for JD(S)’ “pancharatna yatra” were underway and that the campaign would start on November 1 as planned.