New Delhi [India], March 21 : Hitting out at DMK over its opposition to the three-language formula, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said no attempt should be made to divide the nation on the basis of language and that the Tamil Nadu government "does not have the courage" to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil.
Amit Shah, who was replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the working of his ministry, said that from December, he will have written correspondence with citizens, Chief Ministers, and Members of Parliament in their respective languages.
"I would like to say something so that those who divide the country in the name of language do not get their agenda. Under the Department of Official Languages, Narendra Modi government has set up Indian Languages Section which will work to enhance the use of all Indian languages - Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese, Bengali, all languages. After December, I will have written correspondence with citizens, CMs, Ministers and MPs in their own language," Amit Shah said.
Without naming DMK, he accused it of using language issue to hide scams.
"This is a strong reply to those who run their shops in the name of language to hide their corruption...What are they saying? That we oppose languages of the south? How can this be possible?...I come from Guajrat, Nirmala Sitharanan from Tamil Nadu. How can we oppose this? What are you saying?" he said.
Amit Shah said when an NDA government comes to power in Tamil Nadu, it will provide medical and engineering course in Tamil.
"We have worked for languages...I would like to tell Tamil Nadu Government - we have been saying for two years that you do not have the courage to translate medical and engineering study material into Tamil...You cannot do this. When an NDA government comes to power (in Tamil Nadu), we will provide medical and engineering course in Tamil, in Tamil Nadu," he said.
The Home Minister said that Hindi has no competition with any other Indian language and is a friend of all Indian languages.
"I would like to tell those who spread poison in the name of language that you like languages from thousands of kilometres away but you do not language of India...I have said this again and again Hindi has no competition with any other Indian language. Hindi is a friend of all Indian languages, all Indian languages strengthen from Hindi and Hindi strengthens from all Indian languages," he said.
He also said that the BJP will expose DMK's "wrongdoings" by visiting every village and engaging with the public.
There has been a stalemate between the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government over the implementation of the three-language formula as part of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.