Tamil Nadu to ban Hindi boards? Stalin govt breaks silence

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday clarified that no bill to ban the Hindi language in any form is under consideration. The fact-check comes amid circulating reports suggesting that Chief Minister MK Stalin introduced legislation on the final day of the state assembly targeting Hindi hoardings, boards, and films.

The official X handle of the DMK-led government labelled these claims “completely false,” noting that the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly confirmed no such proposal had been received.

The row over alleged ‘Hindi imposition’ emerged after BJP leader K Annamalai criticised the DMK, contrasting Tamil Nadu’s supposed focus on banning Hindi with Andhra Pradesh’s deal with Google to set up an AI data centre. In response, DMK MP P Wilson called the reports “fake news” and highlighted that the state has attracted over ₹10 lakh crore in investments since 2021, creating more than 31 lakh jobs.

Reports suggesting that Tamil Nadu was set to pass a bill banning Hindi in films, hoardings, and public signage caused widespread discussion online. However, the state government swiftly refuted the claims, clarifying that no legislative proposal has been submitted for consideration. The clarification was issued by the TN fact-check department, which emphasised that the circulating news was false.

BJP leader K Annamalai had criticised the DMK government, framing it as prioritising an anti-Hindi bill over developmental projects. DMK MP P Wilson countered these claims, pointing to the state’s record of attracting significant domestic and foreign investments through 893 MoUs since 2021, creating over 31 lakh jobs, and reinforcing the government’s focus on economic development rather than language restriction.