NEP does not mandate Hindi: BJP spokesperson

CHENNAI: The National Education Policy does not mandate Hindi anywhere but only recommends learning a third language, BJP state spokesperson ANS Prasad said on Tuesday.

Charging the DMK with indulging in "language politics," over the matter, he said it will no longer succeed.

The government must implement the three-language policy in Tamil Nadu, ensuring that Dravidian languages like Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are taught in schools. This would be a just and inclusive step for everyone, he said in a statement.

"It (NEP) only recommends learning any Indian language listed in the Constitution as a third language. In Tamil Nadu, around 25 per cent of the population speaks Telugu, and there are also significant Kannada and Malayalam-speaking communities. The three-language policy would allow these communities to learn their native languages," he said.

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The DMK, which uses the word 'Dravidian' in its name and constantly speaks about the "Dravidian Model," was now denying Dravidian languages their rightful place in Tamil Nadu, he charged.