A day after saying that there was a need to embrace linguistic diversity to maintain the integrity of the nation and foster love and unity among the people, actor and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan said on X on March 15 that his views had been misrepresented for political motives.
“Either imposing a language forcibly or opposing a language blindly — both do not help achieve the objective of national and cultural integration in Bharat,” he stated, emphasising that he never opposed Hindi as a language but only objected to making it compulsory. The actor-turned-politician had, during a speech on March 14 during Jana Sena’s 12th Foundation Day celebrations, said, “India needs multiple languages, including Tamil and not just two. Why do Tamil Nadu politicians oppose Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in Hindi for financial gains? They want money from Bollywood but refuse to accept Hindi. What kind of logic is that?”
Kalyan said that all talks about him changing his stance reflect a lack of understanding. He reaffirmed that Jana Sena supported linguistic freedom and educational choice, ensuring that every Indian had the right to study languages without coercion.