Rahul Gandhi stirs language debate ahead of TN polls; asks 'Why should 1 language rule?'

While campaigning in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has sparked the language controversy once again, in a bid to appeal to voters. Addressing a gathering in Tirupur on Saturday, Gandhi remarked that why should one language rule over other languages, implying the imposition of Hindi on Tamilians. The Wayanad MP, who is on a 3-day tour of Tamil Nadu currently, has often attacked the Centre claiming that the BJP-led government plans to wipe away the Tamilian culture. 

"Why should one culture rule over other cultures, why should one language rule over the languages," Rahul Gandhi said in Tirupur.

'I have come here to...'

Previously in Madurai, when the former Congress chief had attended the annual Jallikattu event, he echoed similar views. Gandhi had then remarked, "I have come here to give a message to those people who think that they can run roughshod over the Tamil people, who think they can push aside Tamil language and Tamil culture." In Tamil Nadu, the Congress has announced that it will continue its long-standing alliance with the DMK for the upcoming Assembly Elections. The seat-sharing formula between the two parties is yet to be announced. 

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Upon his arrival on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi participated in an interaction with MSME representatives in Tamil Nadu. The Congress leader later took part in roadshows where he launched an attack on PM Modi-led government for allegedly 'giving what belongs to the farmers to 2-3 big industrialists'.

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Further, he claimed that PM Modi attempted to control the people of Tamil Nadu using agencies such as the ED, CBI and that the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu was compromised. Moreover, Gandhi also lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi claiming that the BJP believed in 'one party, one language and one idea' should rule India. "Modi thinks that the Tamil people, Tamil language and Tamil culture should be subservient to his ideas, his culture," Gandhi had said. 

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Gandhi's visit to Tamil Nadu

After attending the Jallikattu event in Madurai, Rahul Gandhi has returned to Tamil Nadu to campaign ahead of the state polls in April-May 2021, making it his second visit to the state within 10 days. His 200-km roadshow will begin from Coimbatore district and the Congress leader will also be visiting Tiruppur, Odanilai, and Karur. In addition, the Congress leader will also visit Kerala, including his constituency Wayanad for two days from January 27. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry are set to go to polls apart from Assam and West Bengal. While the eastern Congress units have asked  Gandhi to visit them, no date has been set yet. Congress and its ally DMK face the AIADMK-BJP combination apart from Kamal Haasan's MNM and an array of local parties.

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