'Oppose Hindi but profit from dubbing movies in it?'; Pawan Kalyan calls out TN 'hypocrisy'

Kakinada(Andhra): Janasena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Friday criticised Tamil Nadu politicians for what he described as "hypocrisy" over the alleged imposition of Hindi in the state. He pointed out that while these leaders oppose Hindi, they allow Tamil films to be dubbed into Hindi for financial gain.

"I do not understand why some criticize Sanskrit. Why do Tamil Nadu politicians oppose Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gain? They want money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi—what kind of logic is that?" Kalyan said while addressing his party’s 12th foundation day at Pithampuram in Kakinada.

Kalyan's remarks come amid Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's accusations against the Union government of 'Hindi imposition' and his refusal to implement the three-language formula outlined in the National Education Policy (NEP) as a form of protest.

Stressing the importance of linguistic diversity in India, Kalyan stated, "India needs multiple languages, including Tamil, not just two. We must embrace linguistic diversity—not only to maintain the integrity of our nation but also to foster love and unity among its people."

Kalyan’s comments followed those made by CM Stalin on March 13, where he labelled the NEP as a "saffronised policy" aimed at promoting Hindi rather than fostering national development. Stalin claimed the policy threatens to dismantle Tamil Nadu’s education system.

"The National Education Policy is not an education policy, it is a saffronised policy. The policy was not created to develop India but to develop Hindi. We are opposing the policy as it would destroy the Tamil Nadu education system completely," Stalin said in Tiruvallur.

Stalin also accused the central government of withholding funds to pressure the state into adopting the NEP.

"We are asking for your tax share, which we paid with our efforts. What is the problem with this? Is it fair to threaten without releasing funds for the welfare of 43 lakh schools? As we didn't accept NEP, they are refusing to release funds that belong to Tamil Nadu," he said.

"We would have welcomed the scheme if it brought everyone into education. But is NEP like that? NEP has all the factors that remove people from education. This is how this policy is, and that's why we are opposing it," he added.