Jana Sena Party president and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s comments defending the imposition of Hindi at the Pithapuram rally have triggered a major political controversy.
During his speech, Pawan Kalyan took a dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who has strongly opposed the imposition of Hindi, insisting that Tamil Nadu will always prioritize its own language and should not be forced to accept Hindi.
The Jana Sena chief questioned why Tamil Nadu leaders "hate Hindi", asserting that all Indian languages are important.
"India needs multiple languages, including Tamil. There is no need to hate Hindi," he stated.
Taking his argument further, he suggested that if Tamil Nadu rejects Hindi, they should also stop dubbing Tamil films into Hindi.
"They are happy to take money from Hindi-speaking audiences but reject the language—how does that make sense?" he asked.
He also pointed out what he saw as a double standard in Tamil Nadu’s approach to Sanskrit.
"People in Tamil Nadu criticize Sanskrit. But why don’t they object to Muslims praying in Arabic? No Muslim ever says Arabic should not be used. However, when it comes to Hindus, some demand that Sanskrit should not be used in temples."
Senior actor Prakash Raj strongly opposed Pawan Kalyan’s remarks, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to counter his statements.
"Saying ‘Don’t impose Hindi on us’ is NOT the same as hating another language. It is about protecting our mother tongue and cultural identity. Can someone please explain this to Pawan Kalyan?" he wrote.
Prakash Raj has previously criticized Pawan Kalyan over issues like the Tirumala Laddu controversy and Sanatana Dharma.
His latest remarks show his continued opposition to the Jana Sena chief’s stance on cultural and linguistic matters.
