Defence Minister Rajnath Singh indirectly attacked the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government over the language issue and stressed that the Bharatiya Janata Party is committed to protecting Hindi and all other Indian languages.
Addressing a programme organised by the BJP’s ‘Mahila Morcha’ to pay a theatrical tribute to Tamil queen Velu Nachiyar, the Defence Minister said on Saturday that some people were creating controversy over Tamil and Hindi and lauded the effort to spread awareness about her in north India.
He also added on Saturday that the tendency to divide the country based on language must come to an end, adding that there is no competition but a spirit of cooperation between Hindi and other Indian vernaculars, asserting that efforts to break the country in the name of language should stop.
“Some people are unnecessarily creating controversy over Tamil and Hindi languages. However, the BJP is fully committed to protecting Hindi and all other Indian languages, and we are working towards that. There is no competition between Hindi and other Indian languages, but rather a spirit of cooperation among them. Hindi strengthens all Indian languages, and all Indian languages strengthen Hindi,” Rajnath Singh said.
“This trend of dividing the country in the name of language must stop. And if anyone can spread this message effectively and play an active role in it, I believe our sisters can do it in a more impactful way,” he added.
The Defence Minister also said: “It is ironic that some people in our country have started considering Aurangzeb as their ideal. Aurangzeb not only divided the people of India on the basis of religion but also committed atrocities against followers of other faiths.”
His comments come at a time when the Tamil Nadu government, led by MK Stalin, is at odds with the Central government regarding the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the delimitation exercise.
In his speech, Rajnath Singh also highlighted the BJP government’s commitment towards women’s empowerment, saying that the party has ensured reservations for women in Parliament and state Assemblies.
He emphasised that without the support and empowerment of women, the goal of building a strong and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ is impossible.
“We passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, ensuring reservation for women in Parliament and state Assemblies. When I was the party president, I also ensured that women held at least 33 per cent representation within the party organisation. Without the support and empowerment of women, building a strong and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) is impossible,” Singh said.
The Defence Minister also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for focusing on women-led development in the country.
“Today, our Prime Minister has shown complete faith in the strength and power of women. There’s a growing focus on women-led development in the country. Before PM Modi ji, no one ever discussed women-led development,” he said.
The senior BJP leader on the occasion also paid tributes to Queen Mangammal, who was also from Tamil Nadu, and praised her rule.
He said women played a key role in turning India’s freedom movement into a people’s movement.
PM Modi too has often lauded Velu Nachiyar, an 18th-century queen, as among the inspirational figures who fought against the British rule.
