A Tamil speaking Chief Minister from Haryana

Hyderabad: “Inge yaarkna Tamil pesa teriyuma? (Does anyone here speak Tamil?)”

The question from Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar caught mediapersons from a few states — including Telangana — visiting Haryana, by surprise at a question-and-answer session in Chandigarh.

When a correspondent from Hyderabad responded, “enaku pesa teriyum (I can speak),” Khattar’s face lit up with a smile.

The last thing one expected was to have a BJP Chief Minister from a northern state to speak in a language from the south.

“Naan Tamilnatla velaseyambodu, Tamil Kattkane. Inge Tamil pakambordu, nalla irku. (I learnt Tamil while working in Tamil Nadu for the party. It’s nice to meet someone who speaks Tamil),” Khattar said, before switching back to speaking in Hindi.