Beyond the News: Fresh row over Urdu, UP’s forgotten second official language
1 month, 1 week ago

Beyond the News: Fresh row over Urdu, UP’s forgotten second official language

Hindustan Times  

Thirty-five years after Uttar Pradesh adopted Urdu as its second official language, chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s speech in the state assembly has revived the contentious issue over the language’s status. It was in September 1989 when the state government, headed by Congress chief minister late Narain Dutt Tewari, moved the Uttar Pradesh Official Languages Act, 1989, granting second official language status to Urdu amid protests by 16 Bharatiya Janata Party members in a house of 425 members in undivided UP. State elections were due in October-November 1989, on the eve of which, the state government adopted Urdu as the second official language. The implementation of the legislation had remained in limbo and it was only after the SC order, the state government, then headed by Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, directed the state and district authorities to use Urdu as the second official language in government work.

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History of this topic

Urdu and Hindi: A History of Division, Politics, and Power
1 week, 6 days ago

Urdu and Hindi: A History of Division, Politics, and Power

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 18, 2025 14:30 IST - 9 MINS READ The recent controversy over the Urdu language in Uttar Pradesh has reignited debates over linguistic identity, communal relations, and political manoeuvring. Monier Williams, in A Practical Hindustani Grammar, and Reverend W. Etherington, in The Student’s Grammar of the Hindi Language, both attributed Urdu to the Muslim community, reinforcing its …

Urdu is language of India’s Independence: Asaduddin Owaisi
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Urdu is language of India’s Independence: Asaduddin Owaisi

The Hindu  

Hyderabad Criticising Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his controversial remarks about Urdu and him using a pejorative word, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the language is Constitutionally-protected, and played a key role in India’s freedom struggle. It is clear that the UP CM doesn’t know Urdu, but can only answer why he did not become a scientist,” …

Asaduddin Owaisi takes ‘intellectual capacity’ dig at Yogi Adityanath over Urdu remark; BJP reacts
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Asaduddin Owaisi takes ‘intellectual capacity’ dig at Yogi Adityanath over Urdu remark; BJP reacts

Hindustan Times  

Taking a sharp jibe at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over his recent remark, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on Saturday that Urdu isn't the language of the Muslim community and the comment displayed "their intellectual capacity". AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi at Parliament premises during the Budget Session, "It is clear that UP CM doesn't know Urdu. Owaisi, a …

‘Chola, Pallava Kings Also Desecrated Temples’: Owaisi Questions BJP, Hits Back At Yogi’s Remarks On Urdu
4 weeks, 2 days ago

‘Chola, Pallava Kings Also Desecrated Temples’: Owaisi Questions BJP, Hits Back At Yogi’s Remarks On Urdu

ABP News  

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday targeted Bharatiya Janata Party asking if there will be a move made on Hindu kings who desecrated temples and Buddhist sacred sites. Speaking at the 67th revival anniversary of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, the party chief also slammed Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath on his recent remark on Urdu language. 'Pallava, Chola Kings Desecrated Temples' …

Political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh as language debate takes centre stage
1 month, 1 week ago

Political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh as language debate takes centre stage

The Hindu  

In recent days, the language debate has gained traction over a political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh, with senior party leaders wading into it. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on a two-day visit to his constituency Rae Bareli on February 20-21, accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, …

"CM has nothing to do with language or progress" Akhilesh Yadav hits back at Yogi Adityanath
1 month, 1 week ago

"CM has nothing to do with language or progress" Akhilesh Yadav hits back at Yogi Adityanath

Hindustan Times  

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday hit back at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his Urdu language remark, noting the 'carelessness' of the CM towards the education and progress of the state. Yadav questioned the CM over the closure, stating that 11 lakh primary schools have been shut across India, most of them in UP. Yadav remark …

'CM has nothing to do with language or progress': Akhilesh hits back at Adityanath over Urdu remark
1 month, 1 week ago

'CM has nothing to do with language or progress': Akhilesh hits back at Adityanath over Urdu remark

New Indian Express  

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday hit back at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his Urdu language remark, noting the 'carelessness' of the CM towards the education and progress of the state. Yadav questioned the CM over the closure, stating that 11 lakh primary schools have been shut across India, most of them in UP. We …

The curious case of Urdu
2 years, 10 months ago

The curious case of Urdu

The Hindu  

An onslaught on a community often takes the form of intense loathing of the language it communicates in. One of the earliest myths associated with Urdu is that it was a camp language, spoken and perhaps also invented in the army camps of the Mughals, by soldiers of Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Hindustani origins, who borrowed heavily from one another’s …

BJP amps up attack on Hemant Soren govt over employment policy
3 years, 7 months ago

BJP amps up attack on Hemant Soren govt over employment policy

Hindustan Times  

RANCHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday escalated its attacks on Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren government over its new employment policy, insisting that it will hurt the interests of Hindi speaking population and those belonging to the unreserved category in the state. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha said the new policy aims to plug the loopholes that were …

Bihar schools to teach in regional language
4 years ago

Bihar schools to teach in regional language

India Today  

Regional languages like Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili will be the medium of instruction in elementary schools of Bihar in future, state Education Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said in the assembly on Wednesday. Replying to a question during a debate on the budgetary demand of Rs 38,035 crore for the Education Department, the minister said, the idea behind adopting regional language as …

South parties, Oppn hit out at Amit Shah’s pitch for common language on Hindi Divas, highlight need to ‘respect, protect nurture' India's diversity
5 years, 6 months ago

South parties, Oppn hit out at Amit Shah’s pitch for common language on Hindi Divas, highlight need to ‘respect, protect nurture' India's diversity

Firstpost  

‘Amit Shah’s Hindi pitch appeared to be an attempt to make non-Hindi speaking people ‘second-class citizens,’ DMK leader Stalin claimed in a statement New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday pitched for Hindi as a common language for the country, reigniting the debate on the issue as southern parties said they will oppose any attempt to “impose” the language. …

Urdu becomes Telangana's second official language
7 years, 4 months ago

Urdu becomes Telangana's second official language

India Today  

Telangana CM K. Chandrashekar Rao has declared that Urdu will become the second official language of the state at the state assembly today. ''I am declaring today, not considering districts as unit but the state as a unit, in the entire Telangana state Urdu will be considered and practised as the second official language. First, he announced a special IT …

Bihar CM says FIR to be accepted in Urdu-India TV News
10 years ago

Bihar CM says FIR to be accepted in Urdu-India TV News

India TV News  

New Delhi: Speaking on the first day of Jashn-e-Urdu orgainzed in Patna, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said Urdu was the language of India and it was the government responsibility to help in its development. The CM said applications written in Urdu would be accepted in the government offices and the reply would be sent in the same language as far …

Supreme Court Constitution Bench upholds provision for URDU as second official language of U.P. [Read the Judgment]
10 years, 6 months ago

Supreme Court Constitution Bench upholds provision for URDU as second official language of U.P. [Read the Judgment]

Live Law  

An apex Court Constitutional bench comprising of Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice S.A. Bobde approved the declaration of Urdu as the second official language in Uttar Pradesh.The apex court said there are many State Legislatures which have adopted other officially recognized language in addition to Hindi such as in. …

Supreme Court Constitution Bench upholds provision for URDU as second official language of U.P. [Read the Judgment]
10 years, 6 months ago

Supreme Court Constitution Bench upholds provision for URDU as second official language of U.P. [Read the Judgment]

Live Law  

An apex Court Constitutional bench comprising of Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice S.A. Bobde approved the declaration of Urdu as the second official language in Uttar Pradesh.The apex court said there are many State Legislatures which have adopted other officially recognized language in addition to Hindi such as in. …

Supreme Court approves Urdu as second official language of UP
10 years, 6 months ago

Supreme Court approves Urdu as second official language of UP

India TV News  

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today put its stamp of approval over decision to declare Urdu as second official language in Uttar Pradesh, saying language laws of the country are not rigid but accommodative to secure the object of linguistic secularism. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice R M Lodha ruled that nothing in constitution bars a state government …

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