Thu Feb 27 17:03:43 UTC 2025: **Union Minister Rejects Stalin’s Claim of Hindi Imposition**

NEW DELHI, Feb 27, 2025 – Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has dismissed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s accusations of a “push for a monolithic Hindi identity” as a distraction from poor governance. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Vaishnaw challenged Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to comment on the issue, noting Gandhi’s representation of a Hindi-speaking constituency.

Stalin, in a statement earlier the same day, expressed concern over the alleged marginalization of numerous Indian languages due to the promotion of Hindi. He highlighted the decline of several languages, including Bhojpuri and Maithili, and emphasized Tamil Nadu’s resistance to what he perceives as an attempt to suppress regional languages. His comments followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assurance that southern states would not lose Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming delimitation exercise.

While Shah stated that southern states would receive their fair share of any seat increase, Stalin remains skeptical. He expressed concern that Tamil Nadu could lose eight seats and called for an all-party meeting on March 5th to discuss the issue. The DMK, Stalin’s party, has questioned the clarity of Shah’s assurances regarding the basis for pro-rata seat allocation.

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