Parliamentary Committee on official language recommendatory not mandatory: Naidu

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said the recommendation made by the Committee of Parliament on Official Language advising union ministers and the President to give speeches in Hindi is only recommendatory and not mandatory.

He was reacting to Dravida Munnetra Kazhaghan (DMK) leader M.K. Stalin's remarks alleging that the Centre is imposing Hindi on its citizens.

"I was pained to read in a section of the press today news reports wherein DMK leader M.K. Stalin has been quoted alleging imposition of Hindi by the Central Government," Naidu said.

"The suggestion of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language was only recommendatory and not mandatory. It is totally false and mischievous to allege that an Ordinance was passed in this regard," he added.

Naidu further said the recommendation was made under the erstwhile UPA rule where the DMK was part of the government.

"I would like to clarify that the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language headed by the then home minister P. Chidambaram made a recommendation and the same was forwarded to President on June 2 2011," he said.

Naidu said the present government had notified this recommendation on March 31.