Anurag Thakur objects to Dayanidhi Maran's remarks about Sanskrit

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BJP members on Monday took strong exception to DMK member Dayanidhi Maran's remarks in the Lok Sabha pertaining to Sanskrit with Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur saying that the member's remarks were not acceptable.

Maran, who was speaking on the Union Budget, asked the Centre what it has done for the growth and propagation of Tamil language.

"You speak about the Tamil language everywhere. What have you done for the Tamil language? You have not done a single thing for the Tamil language. Here, you speak about Thirukkural. Have you even nationalised Thirukkural? No," he said.

Maran said the government was spending crores and crores of rupees on Sanskrit but was "not trying to spend any money on the classical language Tamil."

His remarks about the Sanskrit language, to which BJP members objected, were expunged by the chair.

Thakur said the DMK member should seek forgiveness from the House for his remarks.

He said the DMK member can speak what he wants to about Tamil, but "if says anything wrong about Sanskrit, that is not acceptable."

BJP member Rama Devi, who was in the chair, asked Maran to conclude his speech. "He makes mistake and does not express regret," she said.