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Piyush Goyal Welcomes Fishermen from Iran, Counters Stalin on Hindi Row

Union Minister Piyush Goyal welcomed Indian fishermen who arrived in Chennai after being repatriated from Iran through a diplomatic effort involving Armenia. He described their return as a joyous day for their families after a difficult journey. Goyal also countered Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's claims about Hindi imposition, stating Stalin was making false allegations out of electoral desperation. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar thanked Armenia for facilitating the evacuation amid the West Asia conflict.

Key Points: Goyal Welcomes Fishermen, Hits Back at Stalin on Language

  • Fishermen repatriated from Iran via Armenia
  • Goyal counters language imposition claims
  • Heated NEP debate with Tamil Nadu
  • Jaishankar thanks Armenia
  • Over 1,200 Indians evacuated from Iran
2 min read

Union Minister Piyush Goyal welcomes fishermen repatriated from Iran; counters CM Stalin's "linguistic" claims

Union Minister Piyush Goyal welcomes repatriated fishermen from Iran and counters CM MK Stalin's claims of Hindi imposition, calling them false allegations.

"I think Stalin has lost this election. He has already given up. - Piyush Goyal"

Chennai, April 4

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday welcomed the Indian fishermen who arrived in Chennai after being repatriated from Iran via Armenia, following a significant diplomatic effort by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Speaking to reporters, Piyush Goyal described the return as a "Joyous day" for the families of the fishermen, who had been stranded in Iran amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

"Today is a joyous day where our brothers and sisters who are suffering in Iran are coming back home to their families, motherland. We warmly welcome all our fishermen brothers and sisters... It was a difficult journey for them. They had to go 20 hours to Armenia and other countries," Goyal said.

"The MEA Officials worked day and night to bring them to Armenia. Today they are flying back from Armenia. We are very happy to receive them, welcome them back home," he added.

On MK Stalin's recent statement on imposing Hindi in the state, Goyal further claimed that Chief Minister MK Stalin has "lost" the upcoming Assembly elections and is resorting to "false allegations" out of desperation."I think Stalin has lost this election. He has already given up on these elections. That is why he makes false allegations. The people of Tamil Nadu know that no one is trying to impose Hindi on them. We want more and more children to learn Tamil. The third language is optional; whatever they want to learn. There is no compulsion to learn any particular language," the Minister stated.Goyal's remarks follow a heated exchange between CM MK Stalin and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday over the National Education Policy (NEP) and the alleged withholding of funds for Tamil Nadu's refusal to adopt the three-language formula.Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday expressed gratitude towards Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen from Iran amid the conflict in West Asia."Thank FM Ararat Mirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar wrote on X.Armenia has been facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals in Iran.

On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that more than 1,200 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran, out of which 996 moved to Armenia.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

K
Karthik V
Good work by the government, but why mix this humanitarian success with political jabs at Stalin? It takes away from the moment. Let's just celebrate the safe return without the election rhetoric.
R
Rahul R
As a Tamilian, I appreciate the rescue effort. But Goyal sir is right about the language issue. The third language *is* optional in NEP. The fear of Hindi imposition is an old political card played before every election in TN.
S
Sarah B
Wonderful news for the families! It's heartwarming to see India's diplomatic reach helping its citizens abroad. Also, good to see Armenia stepping up as a partner. Global friendships matter.
M
Meera T
The fishermen must have gone through so much trauma. Jai Hind to the team that brought them home. On the language topic, learning multiple languages is an asset, not a threat. Let's not politicize education.
V
Vikram M
Two separate issues got mixed in one press conference. 1) A genuine win for Indian diplomacy. 2) An unnecessary political spat. Focus should have been 100% on the fishermen and thanking Armenia.

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