A signboard in Hindi on a state highway in Tamil Nadu has triggered a political row after DMK president and former chief minister MK Stalin accused the TVK government of language imposition.
The Tamil Nadu government has removed the Hindi lettering from the signboard and suspended two highways department officials.
Departmental action has been initiated against the assistant divisional engineer and assistant engineer who have been suspended, the state government said on Friday, warning that stringent action would be taken against officials who act against Tamil Nadu’s two-language policy. Within hours, the Tamil Nadu government removed the Hindi lettering from the signboard on the Sathankulam-Nazareth state highway in Thoothukudi district and suspended two highways department officials. “Departmental action is also being taken against them. The government warned of strict action against officials who act against the policy. “Until now, Tamil Nadu was only confronting the Centre’s Hindi imposition.
Earlier reporting noted: 2 Tamil Nadu officials suspended over Hindi signposts on state highway amid uproar Two officials were suspended on Friday over Hindi signposts along the Sathankulam-Nazareth state highway in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, as Opposition parties slammed the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government regarding them.
READ | “We Never Said Won’t Allow Hindi In Tamil Nadu”: Minister To NDTV Stalin, in a post on X, said Tamil Nadu had so far been confronting what he described as Hindi imposition by the Union government, and questioned whether the state government was now doing the same. He said the two-language policy was Tamil Nadu’s “lifeline” and warned the government against playing with it. Earlier reporting noted: In a statement, the state government said an assistant executive engineer and an assistant engineer from the highways department were responsible for including Hindi signposts, which violated the Tamil Nadu two-language policy. The state government itself is now doing that job… it seems to be the change that they spoke about,” said DMK chief MK Stalin.
Earlier reporting noted: The Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) demanded action against those responsible for the Hindi signboards.
