Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy shows support for three-language policy, says 'I know 8 languages'

Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy supported the three-language policy in the National Education Policy (NEP), saying that “one can learn multiple languages.”

Murthy also gave her example and said she knows eight languages. "I have always believed that one can learn multiple languages and I myself know 7-8 languages. So, I enjoy learning and children can earn a lot,” she said.

Earlier, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram slammed the Union Government on the issue of the three-language policy.

He said that Tamil Nadu is fairing well on two language formula, i.e: English and Tamil and that making the "third language" compulsory is “completely unacceptable.”

"Tamil Nadu is very clear and well served the two-language formula - English and Tamil. English connects us with the world of commerce and science, and Tamil preserves our culture and identity. If anyone wants to learn a third language, it is of their own accord. There is no reason to make it compulsory. To thrust a third language on us would be completely unacceptable, and the Union government must be flexible in implementing its policies," he said.

"BJP should realise that the language issue is a sensitive emotional matter... Anything that hurts people's sentiments should not be promoted... Dharmendra Pradhan is unnecessarily causing division in the society... We in the opposition stand for unity, and that is why we walked out of Parliament yesterday... BJP has hidden agendas in the NEP (National Education Policy) …,” Congress MP Jebi Mather said.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, the Union Education Minister criticized the opposition for alleging that the government seeks to divide society through language, asserting that the central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would never commit such a “sin.”

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman condemned the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for opposing the three-language policy, accusing the Stalin-led government of creating a "political mess" in Tamil Nadu and depriving children of their "right to learn."