Tamil Nadu to ban Hindi? Govt issues clarification amid row

'This claim is completely false. The Secretary of the Legislative Assembly has clarified: No proposal for such a bill has been received. Don't spread rumors,' the fact check unit of Tamil Nadu government said.

Responding to recent reports claiming that the Tamil Nadu government will introduce a bill to ban Hindi language in all forms, the state government has issued a clarification terming the claim as "completely false".

The fact check unit of the Tamil Nadu government took to X to debunk the claims.

"Fake News: It is being claimed that the Tamil Nadu government, led by the Honorable Chief Minister, is planning to introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly to ban the Hindi language in all forms," the post read.

"This claim is completely false. The Secretary of the Legislative Assembly has clarified: No proposal for such a bill has been received. Don't spread rumors," it added.

The row is said to have begun after BJP's K Annamalai took a jibe at the DMK government and said while Andhra CM signed a landmark agreement with Google, Tamil Nadu CM will table a bill to ban Hindi in the state.

"AP CM: Signed a landmark agreement with Google to set up a $15 billion AI Data Centre in Visakhapatnam. TN CM: Let's table a bill & Ban Hindi in our State. Yo! DMK and their Pathetic politics & misplaced priorities, sigh!", he posted.

In a response to Annamalai, DMK MP P Wilson posted, "This is what happens when one is an “Aandh Bhakt” (using a Hindi word because that’s what the TN sanghis seem to crave”).

"Not only is this claim of an anti-Hindi Bill fake news (as clarified by the TN fact check department @tn_factcheck) but has Mr. Annamalai been living under a rock?" he responded.