Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said that his party was not against English but asked people to emphasise on the use of Hindi also in everyday work so as to not lag behind others using English language.
Yadav was speaking after dedicating to people the first news portal of the UP government www.Upnews360.In and the website of Samajwadi Shravan Yatra Scheme here.
"We are not against English," he said, adding but stress should be laid on use of Hindi in everyday work, alongwith English, so as to ensure that those knowing English do not get any special benefit.
"Those who used to oppose our laptop distribution programme are today speaking of setting up wifi ", Yadav said, in an apparent dig at the central government.
To a question on his government's view on the central government issuing circulars to officials to join the International Yoga Day tomorrow, Yadav said, "India is a free country and people are free to do whatever they like. However, some people do yoga every day."
"We had also done yoga under the supervision of the founder of 'The Art of Living Sri Sri Ravishanker recently but did not publicise the programme, although we could have done so," Yadav said, underlining the importance of yoga as a very useful thing for every person, but said there is no need for its publicity or forcing anyone to do it.
To a question on the murder of Shahajahanpur-based journalist in which a minister has been accused, Yadav assured that an impartial inquiry has been ordered and there will be no injustice with anyone.
To a query on senior BJP leader L K Advani's view that emergency can happen again, Yadav said, journalists too then should remain prepared for the harassment they underwent during it in the 1970s.
Earlier while launching the news portal, Yadav said it will make all information about the government schemes and programmes available to common people and help them get benefits from them.
Emphasising on the importance of technology, he said it was important to keep pace with it in the present times.
