Mayawati says Centre-state disputes over delimitation, NEP affect national interest

'Hatred towards language is inappropriate,' she said.

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Saturday said it is "natural" that disputes between states and the Centre over the delimitation, national education policy "for political gains" hurt the people and the nation.

"Good governance is that which takes the entire country along as per the Constitution," the former UP chief minister said.

In a post on X in Hindi, she said, "It is natural that public and national interest is hit by the use of disputes between the states and the Centre for political gains regarding census and re-allocation of Lok Sabha seats on its basis, the new education policy and the imposition of language, etc." Mayawati said the government should instead pay attention to how children studying in government schools, especially those from the oppressed groups and are poor, Dalit, tribal or from the backward class, can progress in IT and skilled fields without acquiring knowledge of English.

"Hatred towards language is inappropriate," she posted.

The central government and southern states are engaged in a tussle over delimitation exercise scheduled for next year. The Tamil Nadu government and the Centre are also clashing over the issue of the implementation of the National Education Policy, and the debate around the "imposition of Hindi" linked to it.

The NEP and language imposition debate has recently emerged even in Maharashtra where the BJP government has decided to make Hindi a mandatory third language for students of Classes 1 to 5 in Marathi and English-medium schools across the state, in a departure from the practice of studying two languages.

Opposition parties have termed the move as "undermining" Marathi.