Cong slams Rajasthan govt on language ban in police records, calls it ‘attack on diversity’

New Delhi: Congress leader Udit Raj on Saturday slammed the Rajasthan government’s decision to ban the use of Urdu, Arabic, and Persian words in police stations, calling it a move attacking India’s linguistic diversity.

“It is unfortunate for someone to deprive themselves of such a beautiful language,” Udit Raj remarked, stressing the richness of India’s multilingual culture.

He added that India is a diverse nation which does not include one single language. “You go to China, there is one language; you go to America, there is one language; in Europe, there is one language. However, in our country, there are many languages, communities, cultures, religions, festivals, and traditions,” he said.

The Congress leader accused the Bhajan Lal-led government in Rajasthan of undermining India’s cultural diversity, saying, “They want to kill the spirit of India’s diversity and its culture. They are going against the diversity and culture of this land.”

The controversy arose after Rajasthan Home Minister Jawahar Singh Bedam announced a directive to replace Urdu-Persian terms in police records with simpler Hindi or English words.

Bedam explained that the “Mughal era” terms were complex and difficult for modern police officials and the public to comprehend, leading to misunderstandings.

He noted that post-independence changes in education have made Hindi more prevalent, while Sanskrit was made the third language, adding that police recruits now struggle to understand Urdu, Arabic, and Persian words.

The state Home Minister also requested a proposal from the DGP to implement changes in police procedures.

The directive has proposed simpler Hindi phrases to replace terms like ‘Adaam Pataa,’ ‘Khana Talashi,’ and ‘Bayaan Tahreer’ with equivalents like ‘Pata Nahi,’ ‘Jagah ki Talashi,’ and ‘Likhit Bayan.’

The move, according to Bedam, aims to make communication within the police system more comprehensible for the public and police personnel alike.

–IANS