'One nation, one language against federal structure'

Hitting out at Amit Shah for pitching Hindi as a common language, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily on Wednesday said the Home Minister's statement was against India's federal structure and that he should withdraw his remarks for the unity of the country.

Shah, the BJP president, had on Saturday pitched for a common language for the country, saying it is Hindi which is spoken the most and that it can unite the whole country.

"The recent statements of Amit Shah, President of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Union Home Minister, like 'one nation, one language', 'one nation, one election' are against the federal structure and democracy of India," the former Karnataka chief minister said in a statement.

It is also opposed to the principle enunciated in the Constitution, Moily said.

"How a Home Minister of a country like India could create this kind of apprehension in the minds of the people is really anti-federal. It is most appropriate for the unity of the country that Amit Shah withdraws such statements," the former Union law minister said.

"Shah has also further said that multi-party democracy has failed in this country. He forgets that multi-party democracy has, in fact, kept the unity and integrity of this country intact and also the democracy vibrant," the Congress leader said.

The stability of the democracy of this country is based on the fundamental basis of secularism, Moily said.