Regional languages must be given respect, says CM

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that people should have freedom of choice and regional languages must be given respect.

"I believe that there should be freedom of choice. Each state has its own character and language. Regional language should be given priority. I support the regional languages. We must give respect to regional language. I have support for them (southern states)," Banerjee said, while reacting to the draft of National Education Policy (NEP) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which had earlier made Hindi compulsory.

However, the HRD Ministry on Monday omitted the mandatory teaching of Hindi, amid strong voices of dissent particularly from the southern states.

"I love Bengali which is my mother tongue but I do not interfere with those who speak Alchiki. Keralites speak

Malayalam, Gujarat people speak Gujarati. They (BJP) should not interfere unnecessarily in every matter," Banerjee added.

When questioned about her reaction on the "Jai Shri Ram" slogan, Banerjee referred to it as a distorted one. She accused the saffron party of deleting the name of Lord Ram's wife Sita from the original chant of "Jai Siya Ram", to coin the twisted slogan.

"You people write what-ever the BJP says. Listen, the actual slogan 'Jai Siya Ram' is used in Uttar Pradesh. It means glory to Ram and Sita," she asserted.