Countering criticism from AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam on the DMK government adopting “double standards” on the usage of Hindi, Minister for Tamil Official Language Thangam Thennarasu on Sunday argued that the Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) publicised the Chief Minister’s announcements in various languages [including Hindi] only to propagate the initiatives of the Tamil Nadu government in other parts of the country.
He took a dig at Mr. Panneerselvam, recalling that on February 19, 2019, the then Chief Minister under the AIADMK government had released Hindi translations of Patiṉeṇkīḻkaṇakku (also known as Eighteen Lesser Texts), except Thirukkural. “If Mr. Panneerselvam had missed it, he could have checked with the then Minister for Tamil Development before issuing a statement,” he said.
In a statement, Mr. Thennarasu said the results of archaeological explorations proving the antiquity of Tamil and initiatives in promoting social justice by the State government were publicised by the DIPR in its portal so that they reached researchers and various sections of people nationally.
According to him, Mr. Panneerselvam was attempting to highlight his presence and promote himself in the AIADMK. Mr. Thennarasu wondered why he “selectively ignored” that AIADMK co-coordinator and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s remarks that he was not aware of the statement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that Hindu should be a link language among States, when Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had opposed the statement.
If Mr. Panneerselvam truly took pride in being a Tamil and cared, he should have reprimanded the action of Mr. Palaniswami and not attempt to attribute motives to Mr. Stalin’s stand.
The Minister listed out the efforts being taken by the DMK government under Mr. Stalin’s leadership in promoting Tamil in universities across the world by setting up Chairs for Tamil.
