OPS alleges that double standards of DMK in Hindi policy have exposed

CHENNAI: AIADMK coordinator and former chief minister O Panneerselvam on Sunday alleged that the DMK government's initiative to translate its announcements into Hindi has exposed its double standards on the language policy.

"When Union Home Minister Amit Shah had recently said that Hindi should be accepted as an alternative to English, all the political parties in Tamil Nadu had opposed it and especially our chief minister commented that it was a blow to the national integrity", the AIADMK leader pointed out in a statement.

"However, today he (chief minister) has started publishing his announcements in the Hindi language", Panneerselvam said adding "if it comes to his personal benefit, he is getting derailed".

Stating that the development of the Tamil language could be done by taking steps for the people, who speak other languages, to learn Tamil and also initiating measures to set up Tamil chairs in the universities at the international level, Panneerselvam alleged "but, instead of making the Tamil language to grow, it was reported that the chief minister has developing Hindi for his personal publicity".

The deputy opposition leader of the house also alleged as the chief minister, who wants to project himself as a national leader, all of his 110 statement in the Assembly was translated into Hindi as a first step and was uploaded on the government's official portal concerned.

"On one hand the DMK is opposing the imposition of Hindi and on the other, it gives publicity to its leader in Hindi had shown the party's double standards", he said.

Claiming that the recent initiatives on the language aspects of the DMK government have disappointed the people, the AIADMK coordinator said "their (people's) disappointment will make a drastic change for the AIADMK to come to the power in the future".