'Hindi will convert us to shudras, will not do any good for us', says DMK MP TKS Elangovan

DMK MP said that states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat do not have Hindi as their native tongue and added that these states were developed states. Elangovan also said, "Hindi will convert us to Shudras, will not do any good for us".

Image courtesy: ANI

Chennai: Member of Parliament and DMK leader, TKS Elangovan has raked up a controversy stating that Hindi is the language of underdeveloped states and implementing that language in Tamil Nadu will make Tamil people `Shudras`. The MP on Monday said that Hindi is the native language in underdeveloped states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. 

He also said that states like West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat do not have Hindi as their native tongue and added that these states were developed states. Elangovan also said, "Hindi will convert us to Shudras, will not do any good for us".

The DMK leader has allegedly used a casteist slur while attacking the Hindi language.

Earlier, there were protests across Tamil Nadu against the statement of Union Home Minister Amit Shah that Hindi should be used as an alternative to English and not regional languages. He was addressing the 37th meeting of the Parliamentary Official Language committee in New Delhi a few months ago.

Tamil Nadu Education Minister K Ponmudy had also stirred a controversy when he said job prospects for Hindi speakers in the state were weak as most of them sold pani-puris and did menial jobs.