Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India]: Accusing Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu of writing letters in Hindi to South India MPs, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP, John Brittas replied to the letter in Malyalam as a mark of protest and said that the former needs to respect the sentiments of the people.
Speaking to media, John Brittas asserted that they have always been fighting against the move to impose Hindi on South Indian states.
“There is a deliberate attempt to impose Hindi on south Indian MPs. This particular minister, Ravneet Singh Bittu has been consistently writing letters in Hindi not just to me but to all the South Indian MPs. We feel that there is an intent behind such Hindi letters.
We feel that the only way to respond to such haphazard actions by ministers is to respond in our own language. This is not only a protest but the only way…He needs to respect the sentiments of the people,” he said.
In a post on X, the CPI-M MP, while replying to the letter of Bittu, said, “It has been a norm and precedent that letters addressed from Union Govt to south MPs are written in English. Lately however that’s not the case, and Ravneet Bittu makes it a point to write exclusively in Hindi. Am compelled to reply him in Malayalam!”
In another post, Brittas said that Hindi ‘imposition’ is not new to them but it has gained faster pace in recent times.
“Even those Ministers well versed in English switch over to Hindi while speaking, especially in Parliament, knowing very well that those from the South can’t comprehend,” the CPI-M MP added on X.
Previously, a war of words erupted between the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Governor RN Ravi over the alleged imposition of Hindi and a row over the State anthem.
On October 18, Stalin condemned the distorted rendition of the State anthem, without the reference to the glory of “Dravida” land, at a DD Chennai function in which Governor RN Ravi participated.
Stalin blamed the Governor for the distorted rendition, alleging that it was the latter’s “deliberate disrespect” to Tamil Nadu and its people.
The Tamil Nadu CM also wondered if Ravi was the “Governor” or an “Aryan”. Following these remarks, the Governor accused the Chief Minister of making racist remarks against him.
RN Ravi in response accused MK Stalin of making racist remark against me and levelled false allegations of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu.
“Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin has issued a regrettable tweet this evening in which he made a racist remark against me and levelled false allegation of showing disrespect to Tamizh Thaai Vaazhthu… Making racist remarks and alleging incorrect imputations against the governor by the chief minister is unfortunately cheap and lowers the dignity of the high constitutional office of the chief minister,” the Governor said in a post from the X handle of Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan.
Reacting to governor’s allegation, MK Stalin said that Tamil language is the race and lifeblood of Dravidians, and said that if racism is the mother tongue of this land, then it is his pride.