Will agitate in Delhi if Hindi imposition continues: Udhay

CHENNAI: DMK youth wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday cautioned that his party would organize agitation in the national capital if the ruling BJP continued to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states.

Leading a demonstration at Valluvaar Kottam condemning the imposition of Hindi and proposed conduct of an all India entrance examination for all courses, Udhayanidhi said, “Just because we are in power, don’t think that we will organise a protest, sloganeer and disperse. Hindi theriyadhu poda is our answer if you try to impose Hindi in any form or manner. We will say that always.”

Reminding the BJP that the DMK has faced three language wars, he said, “The DMK student’s wing led the third war against Hindi imposition. Now, the youth wing has joined the student’s wing. We will win this too. Now, we are demonstrating in front of Valluvar Kottam. If you continue to impose Hindi, our protest will continue in front of your office in Delhi with the consent of our party chief (Stalin), ”

Describing opposition to Hindi imposition as one of the important principles of the DMK, the Chepauk-Triplicane MLA said, “We will not give up or compromise a wee bit on that. We might be in power or in opposition, but we will never give up on the rights of the state because we embrace the path of Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar.”

Taking a dig at the rival AIADMK, the influential DMK youth wing secretary said, “Modi and Shah. Do not think that the state has an AIADMK government. The incumbent CM is neither EPS nor OPS. TN is ruled by our leader Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin. Now, we are in power and we are only demonstrating. The question of transforming it into an agitation rests with you.”

He also dubbed the agitation as a “good beginning for the 2024 Lok Sabha poll” and said the people of Tamil Nadu would chase the fascist BJP away the same way they did in 2019.

You invoke religion, Hindi for election: Maran

Central Chennai MP Dayananidhi Maran, who was among the few speakers at the demonstration, thanked the union for bringing out the Tamil sentiment of the people and said, “They (BJ) raise religion and Hindi imposition whenever there is an election. You have started your work for 2024 Lok Sabha elections. You are imposing Hindi because the Hindi speaking states are voting for you.”

Questioning Modi and Shah’s respect for their mother tongue Gujarati, Maran said, “The most developed states in the country are non-Hindi speaking states? If you have courage, introduce Hindi in IITs?”

South Chennai MP Thamizachi Thangapandian, Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu, student’s wing secretary cum MLA Ezhilarasan and others also participated.