After Ajay Devgn-Kiccha Sudeep spat, Jaaved Jaaferi says: ‘Even I thought that Hindi is national language’

Last week, actor Ajay Devgn and Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep engaged in a Twitter spat over Hindi being a national language. Now, actor Jaaved Jaaferi has also reacted to the national language debate. He has said that just like Ajay, he also thought that Hindi was India’s national language. Also Read: Ajay Devgn-Kiccha Sudeep get into a twitter spat: Is it South film industry vs Bollywood now?

Hindi, however, is not the national language of India and never has been. India does not have any national language but Hindi and English are official languages used by the union government.

Jaaved told Indian Express, “Constitutionally, there is no one language. That’s what I looked at. I was looking at the official Indian languages and the constitution gives no language the status of the national language. I came across that. I was even under the impression that Hindi is the national language. But I just looked up that the constitution gives no language the status of a national language.”

He added, “See, the point is about unity in diversity. That was and is the beauty of this country. There are so many religions but there is no national religion. There is no national language. You have a national bird or a national flower. The future of the country is the simulation of everything and I think no other country has that.”

The national language debate started after Kiccha Sudeep said, “You said that a pan India film was made in Kannada. I’d like to make a small correction. Hindi is no more a national language. They (Bollywood) are doing pan-India films today. They are struggling (to find success) by dubbing in Telugu and Tamil, but it’s not happening. Today we are making films that are going everywhere.” He was speaking at an event in the context of films such as RRR and KGF Chapter 2 that have found success even with Hindi-speaking audiences.

Ajay replied to Kiccha Sudeep’s statement on Twitter, with Hindi fonts. “My brother, if according to you Hindi is not our national language then why do you release your movies in your mother tongue by dubbing them in Hindi? Hindi was, is, and always will be our mother tongue and national language. Jan Gan Man,” Ajay wrote.