India needs multi-languages, says Jana Sena supremo Pawan Kalyan

It is good for the nation, and it applies to Tamil Nadu too, Pawan Kalyan says at the party’s 12th anniversary

Jana Sena Party president and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, while referring to the ongoing tussle over the language and South-North issues, said on Friday that India needed multiple languages.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan kickstarted his address at the JSP’s 12th anniversary by greeting his supporters who turned up from various States in Telugu, Tamil, Maratha and Kannada.

At the plenary organised in Pithapuram constituency in Kakinada district, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, “Multi-languages are good for India. It applies to Tamil Nadu too. Tamil Nadu, which opposes Hindi language, should not opt to dub its movies into other languages. But it is dubbing its movies into various languages for its economic benefit.”

Referring to being labelled as “Hindu defender,” Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, “Sanatan Dharma is in my blood. I don’t have to prove it to anybody. Everybody is entitled to religious freedom.”

“The Jana Sena is not for convenience and vote-bank politics on the subject of religious freedom. Pseudo secularists should condemn attacks on any religion instead of being silent,” he said. Referring to the Godra massacre in Gujarat, the JSP chief said, “Mistake is a mistake, wherever it happens.”

On the South-North divide, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, “Nobody can dare divide North and South in India. If anybody makes such an attempt, crores of people like me will come out to defeat it.”

On the 12-year journey of the party, Mr. Pawan said he had faced abuses and losses in personal life to make JSP a recognised party from a registered outfit.

On the change of rupee symbol by the Tamil Nadu Government, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, “People at the top should think of the impact of their acts. Every State cannot change the symbol of the rupee in its own language.”

Politics of ideology

Stating that he had chosen politics based on ideology, which was why he thought about national security, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, “I came to politics to work for societal change, not just for votes.”

“Unmindful of the defeat at the hustings, we moved forward and achieved victory,” he said. “We stood firm and kept the party going. We helped the four-decade-old TDP remain strong. In 2019, when we lost, people twirled their mustache and mocked us. They insulted our sisters and caused trouble to the public,” he observed.

“When brave women questioned the injustice, they were slapped with cases and sent to jail. Even a leader with over four decades of experience was imprisoned,” he said.

“Many conspiracies were hatched to suppress me. They challenged us by saying we wouldn’t be allowed near the Assembly gates. Yet, we entered the Assembly with 21 MLAs and Parliament with 2 MPs. We achieved 100% strike rate, making the entire nation take notice of the achievement. I have come this far because I have no fear. Courage is my shield,” Mr. Pawan Kalyan said, adding, “The JSP was founded 11 years ago and succeeded in limiting YSRCP to 11 seats.”

Continuing his diatribe against the YSRCP, he said, “Does one need their father to be a Chief Minister or have their uncle killed to start a political party? There’s no rule written anywhere like that.”

“To run a party for a decade, I had to endure countless insults, lose many things, including health. Despite breaking three granite stones with my bare hands during martial arts training, I have now grown so weak that I cannot lift my second son,” he said.

In politics, one must either work for power or follow strong ideological principles. In an indirect reference to YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said, “We won’t commit murders for power, loot thousands of crores, stir caste conflicts, or use knifes used in rooster fights to gain politically. That’s not the path I’ve chosen.”

Published - March 14, 2025 11:22 pm IST