Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged BJP leaders to alert citizens about attempts being made to trigger controversies on the basis of language and asserted that the saffron party considers all Indian languages the soul of "Bharatiyata" (Indianness) and worthy of reverence.

In his virtual address to a meeting of the party office-bearers, Modi said it is the BJP that has linked India's cultural and linguistic diversity with national pride. "Giving priority to local languages in the National Education Policy manifests our commitment to all regional languages. The BJP considers Indian languages the soul of Bharatiyata and the link to a better future for the country," he said.