Mumbai - Union Minister G Kishan Reddy dismissed the ongoing controversy over Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu as a "political stunt" orchestrated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Reddy asserted that the central government has no intention of imposing Hindi on anyone and that the existing language policy predates the current administration.

Speaking to the media, Reddy emphasized that learning Hindi is not mandatory. He drew parallels to regional language policies in other states, including his home state of Telangana, where learning Telugu is encouraged but not enforced.

Reddy accused CM Stalin of weaponizing language to fabricate a narrative ahead of elections, alleging that the Tamil Nadu government had failed to enact any new language policies. He urged CM Stalin to be more responsible with his statements and challenged him to focus on his government's track record over the past four years instead of making "false promises" about Hindi.

The Union Minister's comments come amidst a heated exchange between the DMK and BJP over the issue. CM Stalin has accused the central government of waging a "language war" and urged the public to resist what he perceives as an assault on regional languages.

Home Minister Amit Shah, while acknowledging Tamil as one of India's oldest languages, apologized for his inability to speak the language.