india

Updated: Sep 18, 2019 15:14 IST

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth became the latest South Indian celebrity on Wednesday to oppose Union home minister Amit Shah’s push for Hindi as a common language.

Rajinikanth said the language should not be imposed and any attempts to do so would be resisted by southern states.

“Hindi shouldn’t be imposed. Not just Tamil Nadu but none of the southern states will accept the imposition of Hindi. Not only Hindi, but no language should be imposed,” he told reporters in Chennai according to ANI.

But the actor who is scheduled to launch his political party soon conceded that a common language would be good for India’s unity and progress.

“A common language good for a country’s unity and progress. Unfortunately, (one cannot) bring a common language in our country. So you cannot impose any language,” he said.

Amit Shah’s statement on Hindi Diwas last week that it was extremely important for a country to have a common language to mark of its identity in the world, has roiled South India and triggered a backlash from all political parties.

Rajinikanth’s opposition to the imposition of Hindi comes two days after his rival and actor-politician Kamal Haasan jabbed Shah in a video message saying, “Unity in diversity is the promise we made when we made India a republic. Now no Shah, Sultan or Samrat should go back on their promise.”

Kamal Haasan, had also warned of a bigger protest in Tamil Nadu than the pro-jallikattu agitation in 2017 against any attempt to impose of Hindi. Tamil Nadu had been rocked by anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s.

Shah’s ‘one nation, one language’ pitch has come under flak not only from the DMK in Tamil Nadu but also from its ally and ruling party AIADMK.

DMK chief MK Stalin who had described Shah’s statement as “shocking,” has called for a statewide stir on Friday.