Union ministers from Telangana, G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
Credit: PTI File Photo, X/@bandisanjay_bjp
Hyderabad: Union ministers from Telangana, G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, tried to do some firefighting on Saturday over the ongoing language and delimitation controversies, attempting to defuse tensions sparked by the Tamil Nadu government.
The ministers affirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration actively encourages all languages across India and cautioned that politically motivated attempts to provoke citizens would ultimately fail.
Questioning claims about seat reduction through delimitation, they accused DMK Chief Minister MK Stalin of deliberately inflaming tensions for electoral advantage in Tamil Nadu.
Talking to reporters in Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy highlighted South Indian cinema's national success, noting how Tamil and Telugu films enjoy widespread popularity in North India and generate substantial revenue when released with Hindi dubbing.
The Union Minister also emphasized Telangana's multicultural development landscape, where workers from states like Jharkhand and West Bengal make significant contributions to regional growth.
He challenged Stalin to account for his five-year tenure as Chief Minister, alleging that his lack of accomplishments has driven him to spread misinformation about language policies and delimitation. He clarified that the delimitation process would follow established protocols, noting that the census remains incomplete and no formal regulations have been developed.
Reddy further explained that Tamil Nadu's three-language policy is not a recent development but has been in place for decades, including during Congress rule. He emphasized that no one in South India, including Telangana or Tamil Nadu, has been compelled to learn Hindi.
"CM Stalin is making entirely false statements about language policies," he asserted. "I challenge him to detail what he has actually done to promote the Tamil language during his five years in office. Following Prime Minister Modi's New Education Policy, we've created opportunities for higher education in students' mother tongues," he added.
Speaking in Karimnagar, Bandi Sanjay Kumar clarified that the central government has neither established guidelines nor made any decisions regarding delimitation. He dismissed allegations of discrimination against South India as unfounded and ridiculous. Kumar criticized the ruling parties in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana, claiming their governments are failing and that citizens are increasingly frustrated with their governance. He accused these parties of manufacturing controversies to undermine the central government's reputation.
"Citizens are struggling with various issues and are dissatisfied with their state governments. To distract from this, these parties are circulating false claims about discrimination against South India in the delimitation process. The truth is that no delimitation decisions have been made and no guidelines established. Nevertheless, they continue making baseless accusations. This behavior stems from growing opposition to Stalin's government in Tamil Nadu, crises facing Congress administrations in Karnataka and Telangana, and the well-known situation in Kerala. These parties are conspiring against the BJP because they lack the courage to address real issues or fulfill their electoral promises. Instead, they fabricate non-existent problems for political advantage. They should understand that citizens will reject such tactics," Kumar said.