Mumbai, March 15 Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and MLA Abu Azmi on Saturday advocated for Hindi as a unifying language across India.
His remarks come amidst Tamil Nadu government's decision to replace the official rupee symbol with its Tamil script equivalent in the state's Budget 2025-26, a move that has sparked sharp political reactions.
"India is a large country. There should be a language that is acceptable to all, and I believe that Hindi is that language," Azmi told IANS.
"There is a parliamentary committee for this also, and I feel that from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Hindi should be given the recognition. What someone wants to do in their state is their call," he added.
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government's move to replace the rupee symbol has drawn strong criticism from various quarters.
Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande termed it "unconstitutional" and a violation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.
"The Tamil Nadu government has no authority to change our national rupee symbol to any local language," she told IANS.
Calling the move a "political stunt," Kayande accused the DMK of deliberately challenging the Centre.
"The three-language policy has been accepted in India for a long time. Hindi is a common language. They give recognition to English but not to Hindi. They love speaking and learning English but do not like Hindi, even though it is an Indian language. This is just an attempt to create hatred among the people," she said.
Speaking to IANS, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam called the DMK's decision "treasonous" and "anti-national."
He reminded that when the rupee symbol was introduced during the Congress-led UPA era, the DMK was part of the government.
"The rupee symbol is the pride of this country. Changing it and using Tamil letters instead is unacceptable," he said.
Nirupam also accused the Dravidian parties of using anti-Hindi sentiments for political gain.
"The Stalin government is pushing an anti-Hindi agenda, which is objectionable and shameful. This phase of extreme opposition to Hindi could lead to Stalin's downfall. The entire country is united today, unlike the 1960s when such movements took place. Hindi has gained respect nationwide as an effective communication language," he said.
He further emphasised that Tamil Nadu's resistance to Hindi could prove detrimental.
"People from Tamil Nadu do business in Hindi-speaking states and use Hindi for communication. If they continue this extremist attitude, they may end up isolating themselves, which would not be in Tamil Nadu's best interest," Nirupam warned.
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