Language row erupts in Lok Sabha: Sitharaman says ‘mocked for learning Hindi in Tamil Nadu’; DMK strikes back | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: A heated debate over language imposition unfolded in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she was mocked in Tamil Nadu for trying to learn Hindi during her school years.
Recalling her college days, Sitharaman said she was ridiculed on the streets of Tamil Nadu for pursuing Hindi. “I was mocked for wanting to learn Hindi in Tamil Nadu. I was told, ‘You live in Tamil Nadu and want to learn Hindi, the language of North India?’ These words still echo in my ears,” she said.
“Learning Hindi and Sanskrit is seen as learning any other foreign language and the words they used, by people who came to this country. Tamil Nadu is not part of India. So what is wrong with learning of Hindi,” the Finance Minister said.
She added that she had received a call vandheri– a Tamil term meaning outsider.
Sitharaman said she was denied her “fundamental right” to learn the language of her choice. She accused the state of promoting a culture where Hindi and Sanskrit were seen as foreign languages. “Isn’t Tamil Nadu part of India? What’s wrong with learning Hindi?” she asked, adding, “It’s fine to oppose the imposition of Hindi, but why should we put restrictions on those who want to learn it?”

We are against the imposition of Hindi: DMK
Her comments drew sharp criticism from the DMK, with Thoothukudi MP K Kanimozhi rejecting the allegations. “It has never been the case that anyone in Tamil Nadu has been stopped from learning any language. We are against the imposition of Hindi, not against learning it,” she said.
Sitharaman also defended the BJP’s respect for regional languages, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to elevate Tamil on global platforms including the UN.