While Naidu – a key ally in the NDA – was not as explicit as Kalyan, his remarks signalled that he was on the same page as Kalyan and the broader stance of the saffron party.
Published Jul 15, 2025 | 8:53 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 15, 2025 | 8:53 PM
Naidu said he had a “good equation” with Rao and called him a “true Telugu bidda”.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that people should learn Hindi irrespective of their state of origin, days after his deputy Pawan Kalyan described Hindi as the “Rashtra Bhasha”. Speaking in New Delhi on Tuesday at an event on the life and legacy of PV Narasimha Rao, Naidu invoked the former Prime Minister’s multilingualism, and stated that learning more languages enhances one’s stature.
Days after his Deputy Pawan Kalyan endorsed Hindi as “Rashtra Bhasha”, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that people should learn Hindi, regardless of the state they come from.
Speaking at an event commemorating ‘The Life and Legacy of PV Narasimha Rao’ in New Delhi on Tuesday, 15 July, the Chief Minister paid glowing tributes to the former Prime Minister and veteran Congressman, describing him as a visionary, scholar, and statesman.
He said that Rao became great by learning 17 languages, including Hindi.
“Today, people are asking why they should learn Hindi,” he said, echoing the BJP-led NDA’s agenda to use Hindi as a “unifying factor”.
Naidu had high praise for Rao, who also served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and was the first person from South India – and only the second from a non-Hindi-speaking background – to become Prime Minister.
Recalling his association with Rao, Naidu said he knew him well, as both hailed from the same, then undivided, Telugu-speaking state of Andhra Pradesh. Rao was from Vangara in Karimnagar district, which is now part of Telangana after bifurcation.
He called Rao “Bharat Mata’s greatest son” – a phrase that sounds familiar in BJP circles, since apart from economic liberalisation, Rao is most notably remembered for the demolition of the Babri Masjid under his watch – and later referred to him as a Bharat Ratna, which may sound more acceptable to those critical of Hindi promotion.
Naidu said he had a “good equation” with Rao and called him a “true Telugu bidda”. He noted that Rao came from a humble family of agriculturists, had displayed brilliance from a young age, rising to prominence as a student leader and freedom fighter.
Earlier this month, Pawan Kalyan, speaking at the Rajya Bhasha Vibhag of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in Hyderabad, had likened Hindi to a “pedamma” (elder maternal aunt) to one’s mother tongue.
While Naidu – a key ally in the NDA – was not as explicit as Kalyan, his remarks signalled that he was on the same page as Kalyan and the broader stance of the saffron party.
By acknowledging questions raised by some states about why Hindi should be learned, Naidu appeared to sidestep the deeper issue – that the South is not against Hindi per se, but opposes its imposition.
The promotion of Hindi is often seen in southern states as part of an insidious political design of the BJP to strengthen its base south of the Vindhyas.
Chandrababu Naidu did not delve deeply into the Hindi controversy, choosing instead to question the opposition to the language. He said he stood with Narasimha Rao in believing that learning as many languages as possible would only enhance one’s stature.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
