Centre should include Kannada and other regional languages in administration: H D Kumaraswamy
The former Chief Minister even reminded the centre that all languages are equal in India's federal system as he asked the ruling BJP to amend the law to give equal primacy to regional languages.
"The Centre has said 'No' to a question on whether it proposes to amend the constitution to give primacy to Kannada and other regional languages on par with Hindi.
This is an indication of rejection of a language," Kumaraswamy said in a statement.
Pointing out that Kannada, like Hindi is also a recognised language, he said Kannada is also a national language and the centre should include it and other regional languages in administration.
"Article 343, 344 and 345 in the Constitution encourages promotion of Hindi.
Let BJP leaders, who talk about changing the Constitution, make an effort to amend the law to give equal primacy to regional languages on par with Hindi," he added.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanad Rai on Wednesday had said that there was no proposal to amend the official languages act to include scheduled languages other than Hindi and English as its official languages.
The centre which is refusing to give equal primacy to regional languages must remember that they have formed the government with the support of the non-Hindi speaking Parliamentarians, Kumaraswamy said.
Recently, the Supreme Court while hearing a case has directed the centre that all government orders and publications should be in all recognised and official languages, he said, adding that "Besides, the centre must keep in mind that all languages are equal in a federal system in India."
Kumaraswamy has recently been very critical of the alleged Hindi imposition and discrimination against the people of other languages, especially from the south.
Terming 'Hindi Diwas' celebration as an "underhand method" to impose the language on people speaking other languages, he had on Monday demanded its cancellation.
The JD(S) leader had recently asked as to how much more people of other languages including Kannadigas have to "sacrifice" in this country for not knowing Hindi.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
