Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Aug 23: Former CM H D Kumaraswamy has strongly objected to the instructions of Rajesh Kotecha, secretary of AYUSH department, which organized a virtual training programme in which he asked participants unable to speak or understand Hindi to leave the training programme.
In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy said, "I came to know that Rajesh Kotecha asked non-Hindi speakers to leave the programme and that he does not know to speak proper English. Is this a request about not knowing English or enthusiasm to impose Hindi language?"
In another tweet Kumaraswamy said, "Federal system that is committed to the Constitution has kept this nation united. Every langauge spoken in the country is a part of the federal system. Asking people who do not know to speak Hindi to leave the training programme is a violation of this federal system."
"How much more sacrifice should non-Hindi speaking people, including Kannadigas, do in this country? Union government should immediately take action against AYUSH department secretary Rajesh Kotecha who is obsessed with the greatness of Hindi language. Federal system needs to be respected," Kumaraswamy said in another tweet.
The controversy erupted after Kotecha's purported remark on non-Hindi speaking people during an online conference this week. Several leaders from Tamil Nadu condemned his statement.
AYUSH ministry secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha however has said that the conference of AYUSH trainers was 'gate-crashed by uninvited participants', who were constantly 'nudging' him to speak in English, reported The Print.
"There was an official training programme for master trainers for yoga arranged for state officials from all states. I was using both languages — English and Hindi — in my address. I have always used both languages in my interaction at similar platforms, earlier as well.
"The meeting was gate-crashed by several uninvited participants who were constantly nudging me to speak in English. While I was trying and speaking in both languages, these people who gained illegal access, were constantly interrupting me by repeating ‘Only English, Only English’. I humbly conveyed that I am not fluent in English, but trying to speak in both languages and if they are unable to follow, they can leave," Kotecha was quoted by The Print.