CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas: Rajya Sabha MP of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) John Brittas on Sunday (November 3, 2024) objected to the answers given by the Central Government to the questions asked in Parliament in 'only Hindi'. Brittas alleged that this violates statutory language provisions and prevents members from non-Hindi speaking areas from carrying out their parliamentary work effectively.
The CPI(M) MP said he had written a letter in Malayalam “as a protest” to Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh, who had responded to his questions raised in Parliament in Hindi, while seeking dialogue/communication with MPs from south Indian states. There are 'rules and conventions' for the use of the English language.
Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas replied in Malayalam
In fact, Brittas raised this issue in a post on 'X' and also shared a copy of the letters sent by Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh in Hindi and the reply given by him in Malayalam. Brittas wrote, “It has been a rule and tradition to write letters addressed by the Central Government to the MPs of South Indian states in English. However, this has not happened recently. Ravneet Bittu has chosen to write exclusively in Hindi. I am forced to answer them in Malayalam”
John Brittas represents Kerala
Brittas' office said in a statement, “MP Dr. John Brittas has sent a response in Malayalam to Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh as a protest. The move draws attention to the issue of the central government answering questions asked in Parliament only in Hindi, despite India's linguistic diversity. John Brittas represents Kerala, a state that has not adopted Hindi as an official language.”
