Sadananda Gowda clarifies on compulsory Hindi rule

Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizer D V Sadananda Gowda on Monday said the Centre will not impose Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, including Karnataka.

“The Centre has not yet taken any decision on the draft National Education Policy, 2019. No decision to impose Hindi will be taken. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it amply clear that regional languages and issues will be given priority,” he told reporters.

On southern states, including Karnataka, stiffly opposing the proposed policy, Gowda said it was not fair to blindly criticise the Centre. It was being done for political gains, he added.
‘BJP will not topple govt’.

This apart, the Union Minister said the BJP will try to find an alternative if the JD(S)-Congress coalition government collapses on its own.

“As a political party, the BJP will try to find an alternative if the government collapses on its own. But we will not topple the coalition government,” he told reporters on seeking to know whether his party was confident of forming the government in the State.

Asked about his prediction that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will resign within 24 hours of announcement of Lok Sabha polls, Gowda said Kumaraswamy had offered to quit but he was stopped from doing so.