‘Home minister Amit Shah ji must accept the challenge of having one language in all the states,’ said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.
MUMBAI: In a first, the Shiv Sena made a pitch for ‘one country-one language’ on Saturday. Shiv Sena member of Parliament (MP) and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that Hindi was spoken and accepted across the country. He further said that union home minister Amit Shah must take up the “challenge” that there should be one language in all the states.
The statement by Sena came after Tamil Nadu higher education minister K Ponmudi on Friday stirred up a controversy after he said that those who are engaged in “selling pani puri” are Hindi speaking people. Raut said that no language must be disrespected.
Last month, Shah made a pitch for Hindi as an alternative to English, adding that it should be the language of India. The statement sparked criticism by the opposition.
In April, Shah, who is the chairman of the Parliamentary Official Language Committee, told members that 70% of the agenda of the union cabinet was now prepared in Hindi. A statement from the ministry of home affairs quoted Shah as saying that the time had come to make the official language an important part of the unity of the country. He added that when citizens of states who speak other languages communicate with each other, it should be in the language of India. Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English and not to local languages.
When asked about the Tamil Nadu minister’s remarks, Raut told media persons in Mumbai, “Whenever I get an opportunity to speak in the House, I use Hindi, because the people of the nation should listen. Hindi is the only language which has acceptability and is spoken in the entire country.”
He further added, “No language must be disrespected. Home minister Amit Shah ji must accept the challenge of having one language in all the states. One country, one Constitution, one nishan (emblem/symbol) and one language should be there.” The Sena’s pitch for one language is in contradiction to the party’s stand on pushing the Marathi language in Maharashtra.
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