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.
