Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Friday expressed concern over the recent rise in cases of violence based on language. Strongly criticising these incidents, the Union Minister said that divisions among Indians are problematic, and urged everyone to respect the culture and language of others. Paswan also criticised politicians who create these divisions in society to fulfil their ambitions. He further emphasised that “unity in diversity” has been India’s motto since Independence. Reacting to a video from Maharashtra’s Thane district in which a shop owner was allegedly attacked for not speaking in Marathi, Paswan said there should not be these divisions among Indians. “It is beyond my understanding how so many divisions will be created among Indians – sometimes in the name of region, sometimes in the name of language, religion or caste,” Paswan was quoted as saying by ANI. Paswan further said that a person should be proud of his mother tongue but he should not force others to speak the same language. “I support the idea that your mother tongue should be your pride but there should also be enough sensitivity that if someone from outside does not understand it, it does not mean that we become so intolerant and start resorting to violence,” Paswan said. He also said that many languages are spoken in different parts of the country but India’s identity has always been unity in diversity. “From north to south, east to west, there are different languages and cultures. Unity in diversity has always been our identity,” Paswan said. The Union minister also suggested politicians not to divide society to fulfill their political ambitions. Paswan said, “But some leaders are indulging in such divisive politics to fulfil their ambitions and I condemn it.” The incident in Thane has sparked widespread outrage on social media.
‘So many divisions…’: Chirag reacts to language row after slapping incident in Maharashtra, gives message of ‘unity in diversity’
