Rahul Gandhi slammed Amit Shah over his remarks that English-speaking people will soon feel ashamed, saying the language is not an obstacle but a “bridge” that gives every child equal opportunity.
New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks that English speaking people will soon feel ashamed, saying the language is not an obstacle but a “bridge” that gives every child equal opportunity, while alleging that the BJP-RSS combine doesn’t want the poor to learn the language as it empowers them to ask questions.
His remarks came a day after Shah claimed that those who speak English will soon start feeling “ashamed”.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “It is not an English dam, it is a bridge. English is not shame, it is power. English is not a chain – it is a tool to break the chains.”
Taking a dig at the saffron party and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, Rahul Gandhi, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli said, “BJP-RSS don’t want poor children of India to learn English – because they don’t want you to ask questions, move ahead, and become equal.”
The Gandhi scion asserted that in today’s world, “English is as important as your mother tongue”, suggesting that it helps gain employment and boosts individual confidence.
“Every language of India has soul, culture, knowledge. We have to cherish them and at the same time teach English to every child. This is the path to an India that competes with the world, that gives every child an equal opportunity,” the former Congress chief remarked.
He also posted a 50-second video of his interaction with a group of youths in which he claimed that the BJP-RSS leaders had asked them not to speak in English but Hindi.
The clip also features RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat purportedly saying that he will never use English, as well as a list of BJP leaders whose children studied in foreign institutions including Wharton School, University of London, Oxford, Harvard, University of Leads and Yale.
“Look at the BJP ministers, they all are going to study in England. English is a weapon. If you have learnt English, you can go anywhere…you can reach America, Japan, you can go anywhere, you can work in any company,” he said.
His remarks came a day after Shah, while speaking at a book launch programme, said, “Remember what I say and listen to me carefully. Time is not far away for a society where people speaking in English in this country would feel ashamed.”
The Home Minister further said the languages of our country are the jewels of our culture. “Without them, we are not Indians…India cannot be imagined with a foreign language,” he added.
ALSO READ: PM Modi To Lead International Yoga Day Celebrations In Visakhapatnam With 5 Lakh Participants
Netflix has sealed a $72 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros Discovery’s TV and film…
Smriti Mandhana has posted for the first time on her Instagram handle since her wedding…
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has turned into a political hotspot as FIFA, in a…
