Naidu said he had a “very good equation” with him. “He was a student leader, a freedom fighter, a scholar fluent in 17 languages,” Naidu said, referring to Rao.
“Now we are all talking, why should you learn Hindi? Not only he learnt Hindi, he has learnt 17 languages. That is how he has become a great man,” he said.
The remarks come amid the ongoing language debate. The three-language formula under the National Education Policy has faced opposition in states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Several leaders from the southern states have also alleged ‘Hindi imposition’ by the Centre. PTI AO MNK MNK
