Inaugurating the National Urdu Convention organised by the All-India Urdu Educational Committee here on Sunday, Tahir said that the democratic and constitutional struggle for the cause of Urdu would continue.

Urdu was not the language of the Muslims alone as was considered by the people, but a national language. Of the 18 languages recognised by the Constitution, almost 17 were regional. Only Urdu was widely spoken in almost every region of the country. If the people thought that the language they were speaking was Hindi, then they were grossly mistaken. The so-called Hindi spoken by them was actually Urdu and not the Akashvani Hindi, he said.

Tahir averred that UrduUniversity would be a national property and not any single person or community's property. The State Government had allotted 200 acres of land near Manikonda village in Ranga Reddy district for the purpose. But for the tireless efforts and commitment of All-India Urdu Educational Committee Chairman Jaleel Pasha, the Urdu University would not have become a reality, he said.

Eminent poet and Rajya Sabha member C Narayana Reddy called upon the Urdu speaking people to continue their struggle for the cause of the language.Speaking on the occasion, Jaleel Pasha said that the Prime Minister would be invited to inaugurate the university in July. A world Urdu conference would also be organised on the occasion.

He urged the Centre to release Rs 1,000 crore for the establishment of the university.

Former IAS officer Mahmood Bin Mohammed, Madina Education Society secretary K M Arifuddin and Prof. Ahmedullah Khan also spoke.