Stalin writes to 7 CMs for support after Shah salvo

Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday underscored the Centre's commitment to regional languages and attacked Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin even as the latter wrote to his counterparts in seven states to form a wider front against the impending delimitation of Lok Sabha seats, as the two leaders upped the ante on two contentious issues.

- Divya Chandrababu

On a visit to Tamil Nadu, Shah asked Stalin to impart engineering and medical education in Tamil in the state and paid rich tributes to the Tamil language. He also said the Narendra Modi government ensured that the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) aspirants could write the exam in their respective regional languages.

"Till now, there was no place for a mother tongue in the CAPF recruitment. PM Narendra Modi decided that our youth will now be able to write their CAPF exam in all languages in the eighth list, including Tamil. I want to urge the CM of Tamil Nadu to take steps towards introducing a curriculum of medical and engineering courses in Tamil language as soon as possible," he said at the 56th Raising Day of the Central Industrial Security Force at RTC Thakkolam, about 70km from Chennai.

"I hope he [Stalin] will soon take some steps on this. I have been saying this for the last two years but till now no action has been taken," Shah added, praising Tamil Nadu for its vibrant culture and contribution to the nation.

Hours later, Stalin said that he has written to the chief ministers in Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab and Odisha, as well as the party chiefs in these states, inviting them to join hands over the delimitation exercise. He said that a joint action committee first action committee - first announced at an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu earlier this month will hold its first meeting in Chennai on March 22, and asked 30 parties, including state units of the BJP, to send their representatives.

Five of the seven states he wrote to are controlled by the Opposition but Andhra Pradesh is ruled by the National Democratic Alliance and Odisha by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Stalin urged the BJP units in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka - in addition to other parties to send their members for the March 22 meeting.