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Published 18:35 IST, September 16th 2019

Karnataka CM upholds 'Kannada' amid Amit Shah's 'One Language' call

Karnataka CM and BJP leader Yediyurappa on a tweet has said that his government is committed to promote Kannada and will never compromise on its importance

Reported by: Akriti Tyagi
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After Home Minister Amit Shah's announcement on Hindi Diwas sparked off a major debate between Hindi and non-Hindi speaking States, with BJP leaders supporting Shah's views on 'One Nation, One Language', and the regional leaders vehemently opposing it, surprising admittance has come from BJP leader and CM of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa.

READ I Rakesh Sinha accuses Kamal Haasan & MK Stalin of linguistic politics

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'Committed to promote Kannada'

Using the official Twitter handle of the CM of Karnataka, he tweeted,

BJP President and Home Minister Amit Shah advocating 'One Language' for all has been questioned by several opposition parties, especially in South India. Now, Yediyurappa has come out claiming that Kannada will remain the principal language in his State. This perhaps comes out to be in contradiction to his own party. Other parties in the South India, more particularly in Tamil Nadu, are quite perturbed and have made their objection on 'Hindi imposition' abundantly clear.

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READ I MK Stalin Slams Amit Shah for 'One Nation, One Language' Speech

'Plurality of India is Our Strength'

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin, since the past two days, has been launching an attack at the Centre over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's idea of ‘One Nation, One Language’ during his speech on Hindi Diwas on September 14. Stalin now has said that they are ready for any sacrifice to oppose Hindi imposition. 

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Going ahead to talk about how the foundation of India is based on diversity, Stalin said, "The Constitution clearly says that India is a union of States. The plurality of India is our strength and unity in diversity is the foundation of this country. The BJP government since the beginning is trying to collapse this."

The DMK President also said that his party is ready to save the plurality of India.

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He went ahead to say, "We warn that this is India and not Hindi-a." 

READ I Stalin opposes 'Hindi Imposition', says 'Plurality India's strength'

'Witness the unity in diversity': Kamal Haasan

Kamal Haasan, the chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam, a political party in Tamil Nadu which yielded no results in the recent Lok Sabha election, shared his thoughts on the Hindi vs.Tamil debate by stating, "The process which happened in Jalli Kattu, that was a smaller one and that victory was very small. However, if it is going to be on the language, to save the Tamil, it is going to be much and much larger." "No one can change the promise which was made in the 1950s, that is, the Constitution of India. Let it be Shah, let it be Sultan or a Samrat, no one can change the promise."

READ I Vaiko slams Shah for his One Nation, One Language speech on Hindi Diwas

Amit Shah on One Nation, One Language

Home Minister Amit Shah, on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, pitched the idea of ‘One Nation, One Language’ during his speech and went ahead to say that diversity of languages and dialects is the strength of our Nation. He further pushed for the need for one language so that foreign languages don't find a place in the Nation.

HM Shah said, "This is why our freedom fighters envisioned Hindi as 'Raj Bhasha'."

Shah's statement led to many political parties and its leaders taking a hit at the Home Minister.

Read | Amit Shah Issues 'One Language' & 'Raj Bhasha' Pitch On Hindi Diwas

16:39 IST, September 16th 2019