Asserting that Hindi can play the role of lingua franca, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today pushed for having one common language in India to connect and unite the country, triggering a row with the Congress saying the three-language formula should not be tinkered with as it would “create strife and unrest”.

In a series of tweets in Hindi before speaking at a function to mark Hindi ‘Diwas’, the Home Minister asked everyone to use their native languages as much as possible, but said efforts would be made to expand Hindi’s reach to different parts of the country.

If there was any language that could unite the country, it was Hindi as it was spoken the most, said Shah. “I want to appeal to people to promote their native languages but also use Hindi to make the dream of Bapu and Sardar Patel of one language come true,” he tweeted.

According to the Official Languages Act, 1963, Hindi and English are the official languages for the Union Government and Parliament.A total of 22 languages are recognised under the Eight Schedule of the Constitution. Speaking at a ‘Hindi Divas’ function, Shah said while diversity in languages was India’s strength, a national language was needed so that foreign languages and cultures did not overpower the country’s own, as “our power to express our culture will die in the absence of our national language”.

He, however, asserted the growth of Hindi will never be at the cost of any other language, while making it clear Hindi was the language of co-existence. He also noted the linguistic richness of India and said the nation was home to 122 languages and more than 19,500 dialects.

“No indication should be given of a rethink which would create strife and unrest in the country,” said party spokesperson Anand Sharma. The three-language formula is commonly understood to comprise Hindi, English and the regional language of the respective states.