Language row: Kumaraswamy demands action against AYUSH Secy

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy demanded that the Central government should take action against AYUSH Ministry Secretary Rajesh Kotecha alleging that the latter, during a virtual event hosted by the ministry, said that non-Hindi speaking participants could leave.

The Janata Dal (S) leader asked how many people, who spoke different languages, including Kannadigas, would have to make sacrifices in the country for not being able to speak Hindi.

"In a virtual training hosted by the AYUSH department, Rajesh Kotecha, the secretary of the department, said, "Those who cannot speak Hindi can quit. I don't speak English very well. Is it a request to not speak English, or Hindi should be imposed?" Kumaraswamy tweeted.

"Every language here is part of the union system. Is it not, therefore, a violation of the Union Code to quit the training program for reasons not to speak Hindi? Is this not anti-constitutional?" he said in another tweet.

"How many people of all languages, including Kannadigas have to sacrifice in this country for the sake of not speaking Hindi? The central government should immediately take action against Rajesh Kotecha, the AYUSH department secretary who is obsessed with Hindi excellence. The union system must be respected," the former CM tweeted.

Earlier, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi wrote to Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik urging him to immediately order an inquiry into the incident of "Hindi imposition" during the virtual training event conducted by his ministry and take actions against all officials who have acted in a manner "discriminating our fellow citizens on the basis of language".