'Shallow attempt': Ashwini Vaishnaw slams Stalin's remarks on 'Hindi imposition'

I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has described Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin's remarks on "Hindi imposition" as a "shallow attempt" to divide society to hide his government's poor governance and wondered whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shared the DMK leader's views.

"Poor governance will never be hidden by such shallow attempts to divide society," Vaishnaw said in a post on X, responding to Stalin's letter to DMK cadre. In the letter, Stalin claimed many north Indian languages spoken in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh such as Maithili, Brajbhasha, Bundeli and Awadhi "have been destroyed by the hegemonic Hindi".

Vaishnaw wondered whether Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha agreed with Stalin. "It will be interesting to know what the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi Ji, has to say on this subject. Does he, as MP of a Hindi-speaking seat, agree," Vaishnaw said in a post on X.

Poor governance will never be hidden by such shallow attempts to divide society.It will be interesting to know what the Leader of the Opposition, @RahulGandhi Ji, has to say on this subject. Does he, as MP of a Hindi-speaking seat, agree? https://t.co/Oj2tQseTno

Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 27, 2025

Recently, Stalin came down heavily on the central government in the three-language row, claiming that forced adoption of Hindi language has "swallowed" 25 north Indian languages over the years.  He warned that ancient mother tongues are “gasping for survival” due to Hindi dominance. “The push for a monolithic Hindi identity is what kills ancient mother tongues. UP and Bihar were never just “Hindi heartlands,” Stalin wrote in a post on X on Thursday.

He had earlier said that the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) will not oppose Hindi if it is not imposed on Tamil Nadu and that forcing the language on the state’s residents amounts to playing with their self respect.

“For those asking why DMK still opposes Hindi, my humble response to them as one among you is –– because you still impose it on us,” he said in a letter to DMK workers. “We won’t oppose if you don’t impose; won’t blacken Hindi words in Tamil Nadu. Self-respect is Tamils’ unique characteristic and we will not allow anyone, whoever it is, to play with it.”