X User Shares Pic Of 'Hindi, National Language' T-Shirt, Calls It 'Perfect For Bangalore Trip'; Users React

The debate surrounding Hindi as India's national language has flared up again after a recent post on X showed two men wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Hindi, National Language" during their visit to Bengaluru.

The image quickly went viral, particularly among Kannada-speaking users, stirring anger and frustration, with many accusing the men of disrespecting regional languages, reported the Hindustan Times.

Responding to the backlash, X user Harsh defended his now-deleted post, saying, "Most of us already know that there is no national language in India. But South Indians are being offended as if Hindi were really our national language. This clearly shows their hate towards people who speak Hindi. And the fact is, we don't care which language you speak when you come to the North."

However, his comments only intensified the anger, with some users voicing their displeasure in strong terms.

The image received over 3 million views, 24,000 likes, and 2,500 shares.

X users react

"Your life will be at risk in Bangalore," one user warned, while others responded humorously, "Don't wear a belt - they'll bring one for you!" Another user commented, "You'll get hit with shoes by the auto drivers."

Despite the controversy, some users sought to clarify the matter, recognising the sentiment of Hindi speakers while highlighting the constitutional fact: "Hindi is not the National Language of India. In fact, there is no concept of a 'Language of India' stated anywhere in the Constitution."

As tensions rose, several users edited the original photo, changing the slogan to "Hindi is not our national language" as a form of protest. Memes mocking Harsh's post also began circulating, amplifying the backlash further.