PUDUCHERRY: Senior Congress leader and former Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy questioned Chief Minister N Rangasamy’s silence over the alleged Hindi imposition in JIPMER, even as agitations against it gain momentum in the UT.
The circular issued by JIPMER directing use of Hindi along with English as its administrative languages shows that the Union Government is gradually imposing the language in Puducherry, Narayanasamy told reporters following a demonstration staged by the Congress in front of JIPMER.
“Is the fear of losing the chief ministership if he expressed his opinion against Hindi imposition, the reason behind his silence?” asked Narayanasamy. Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, on the other hand, has given a wrong clarification that Hindi was not being imposed in JIPMER, he added, and further demanded an apology from the L-G for her remark.
Narayanasamy pointed out that the circular had a clear direction that registers, service books of employees, and pension books should be in Hindi too.
VCK protestors arrested at JIPMER
Meanwhile the VCK staged a protest at the hospital condemning the imposition. Led by the party’s principal secretary Deva Pozhilan, more than 100 cadre marched towards the hospital. They raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of the circular, and flayed the BJP government for the move. Later, they set ablaze a portrait of the JIPMER director, following which police arrested 75 people, including 4 women