A fresh debate over language policy has broken out in India after senior leaders of Andhra Pradesh’s coalition government publicly championed wider adoption of Hindi in the southern state. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan set off the discussion on 14 July, asking residents to "overcome hesitation" and treat Hindi as a unifying medium, comparable to English for inter-state communication. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu amplified the appeal a day later, telling a lecture audience in New Delhi that former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao mastered 17 languages, including Hindi, "because he wanted to learn them and was not forced." Naidu argued that multilingualism strengthened national unity and urged schools in Andhra Pradesh to encourage Hindi instruction, while stressing that local languages would remain central to cultural identity. Opposition parties countered that language choices should remain voluntary. Congress leaders Udit Raj and Surendra Rajput said dialogue, not compulsion, should guide linguistic policy, warning that "fighting over language is a sign of illiteracy." Cultural figures such as actor Ashutosh Rana echoed the sentiment that language should be a tool for communication, not conflict. The remarks rekindle long-running sensitivities in non-Hindi-speaking regions about perceived imposition of the language by the federal government. While no formal policy change has been announced, Naidu’s endorsement signals the state’s political leadership may seek to expand Hindi teaching, setting the stage for further debate in India’s parliament and regional assemblies.