TMC takes on Mulayam for his proposal of ‘ban English in Parliament’

Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav received wrath from Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress on Monday for seeking a ban on English speeches in Parliament. TMC said Mulatam’s proposals are worrying and unnecessary.

“The anti-English comments in politics is worrying. It represents disconnect with energies of new India and today’s youth,” TMC spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP, Derek o’Brien told PTI.

Advocating for English, Derek o’Brien said that it is important for all to know English as it gives edge to get jobs in the modern economy.

“Love all languages, including your mother tongue. We in Bengal suffered for decades due to Left Front government’s ban on English teaching at primary education level,” Derek o’Brien said.

Earlier on Sunday Mulayam Singh Yadav had said that MPs should be banned from speaking in English in Parliament.

“There should be a ban on English address in Parliament. Countries which use their mother tongue are more developed. It’s the need of the hour to promote Hindi,” he had said.

He later clarifies his position by saying, “The leaders of the country have double character as far as Hindi is concerned. They ask for vote in Hindi but give address in Parliament in English. This should be stopped.”

Meanwhile Union Minister Shashi Tharoor hits back at Mulayam Singh Yadav and said why Mulayam is asking ban on English speech in Parliament when his son Akhilesh Yadav has studied in an English-medium school.

“In the 21st century, most Indians want their children to have a good working knowledge of English to improve their prospects. Mulayam Singh’s own son studied in an English medium school and I think he should embrace this in the same way.”

“I respect why Mulayam made that statement. If he were to make that statement in my state Kerala it would not go down well,” Tharoor added.

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