The DMK said that the Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai's criticism of its anti-Hindi agitation, which he likened to an "old, worn-out slipper", was an "insult to the martyrs" who fought for the state language.
During a campaign event on Saturday, Annamalai said, "People of Sriperambudur should understand that someone is still talking about what was said in 1980. Hindi-Sanskrit, North-South, this-that. They still haven’t thrown away such old, torn slippers. This is DMK."
Hitting out the BJP state chief's remark, DMK spokesperson Saravanan said, "He insulted the martyrs of the language war. Tamil Nadu has a great history of waging a war against Hindi imposition."
He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence on Annamalai's remarks.
"Why hasn't PM Modi condemned it? Annamalai has compared it (anti-Hindi agitation) to torn sandals. This is the respect people have for Tamil Nadu."
Meanwhile, the AIADMK said Annamalai was "foolish" to make such a statement.
“Insulting this (anti-Hindi agitation) only shows his character. Let me ask Annamalai why those who studied Hindi are coming to work here. But those who studied Tamil and English are going abroad or to Isro (Indian Space Research Organisation) and have become great doctors too. I can only see Annamalai’s words to be foolish," AIADMK MLA Sellur Raju said.
The language war has always played an important role in vote bank politics in Tamil Nadu.
The DMK's active role in anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 had led the party to win elections in the state.
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