New Delhi: Former Union Minister P Chidambaram, a native of Tamil Nadu, has come out in support of DMK MP Kanimozhi, who had tweeted about an incident at an airport wherein she was asked about her citizenship and pointed to his own experiences.
"The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Kanimozhi at the Chennai airport is not unusual. I (too) have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens, who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations, and sometimes even face to face," Chidambaram said.
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The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Ms Kanimozhi at Chennai airport is not unusual.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Ms Kanimozhi at Chennai airport is not unusual.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020The unpleasant experience of DMK MP Ms Kanimozhi at Chennai airport is not unusual.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020
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I have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations and sometimes face to face
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">I have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations and sometimes face to face
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020I have experienced similar taunts from government officers and ordinary citizens who insisted that I speak in Hindi during telephone conversations and sometimes face to face
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020
The former Union Minister said: "If the Centre is genuinely committed to both Hindi and English being the official languages of India, it must insist that all central government employees are bilingual in Hindi and English."
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If the Central government is genuinely committed to both Hindi and English being the official languages of India, it must insist that all central government employees are bilingual in Hindi and English.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">If the Central government is genuinely committed to both Hindi and English being the official languages of India, it must insist that all central government employees are bilingual in Hindi and English.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020If the Central government is genuinely committed to both Hindi and English being the official languages of India, it must insist that all central government employees are bilingual in Hindi and English.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020
READ: 'Elections are 8 months away': BJP leader on Kanimozhi's 'Hindi imposition' row
While non-Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts quickly learn functional spoken Hindi, why cannot Hindi-speaking recruits to these posts learn functional spoken English?" the senior Congress leader asked.
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Non-Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts quickly learn functional, spoken Hindi. Why cannot Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts learn functional, spoken English?
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Non-Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts quickly learn functional, spoken Hindi. Why cannot Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts learn functional, spoken English?
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020Non-Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts quickly learn functional, spoken Hindi. Why cannot Hindi speaking recruits to central government posts learn functional, spoken English?
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) August 10, 2020
Meanwhile, the BJP has dismissed her allegation as 'electoral stunt'. BJP General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santhosh tweeted to counter Kanimozhi's charge, saying that "assembly elections are 8 months away ... campaign starts".
The Central Industrial Security Force on Sunday ordered an internal probe against one of its security officers associated with Chennai Airport for allegedly embarrassing the DMK Member of Parliament and former Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi.
As the officer questioned the legislator's nationality when Kanimozhi could not understand Hindi, the latter took up the issue on twitter which stormed the micro-blogging site.
According to Kanimozhi, when she was reaching the domestic terminal of Chennai International Airport to leave for New Delhi, she was interrupted by security check.
During the conversation, an officer from CISF had spoken to her in Hindi. However, Kanimozhi requested the officer to speak either in Tamil or English as she did not know Hindi.
"Today at the airport a CISF officer asked me if “I am an Indian” when I asked her to speak to me in Tamil or English as I did not know Hindi. I would like to know from when being Indian is equal to knowing Hindi," Kanimozhi had tweeted before boarding into the flight.
With agency inputs
