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SC refuses PIL demanding Hindi to be made compulsory till Class VIII

SC refuses PIL demanding Hindi to be made compulsory till Class VIII

File photo of the Supreme Court of India.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused a public interest litigation which had demanded that Hindi be made compulsory up to Class VIII in all schools across the country.

“We can’t pass such orders. Tomorrow somebody will (say) make Sanskrit compulsory… make Punjabi compulsory,” said a bench led by Chief Justice of India J S Khehar.

The bench pointed out the government was already taking steps to promote Hindi. “They are doing it themselves very much… these are all policy decisions. How can we issue orders?” the court asked senior lawyer R S Suri, who was appearing for PIL petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay.

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With writing on the wall, Suri then withdrew the PIL.

Upadhyay is a Delhi BJP spokesperson. In his petition, he said Hindi in schools was a must for national integration. Upadhyay further claimed that it was a constitutional obligation to promote Hindi.

First Published: May 4, 2017, 1:37 PM IST