New Delhi: Centre has agreed in-principle to give second language status to Urdu and Punjabi in the national capital.

"Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on June 2 told us that the Centre has agreed to the proposal by Delhi government to grant second language status to Urdu and Punjabi and now the proposal will be sent to the Law Ministry for clearance," National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman Tarlochan Singh, who was a member of a delegation who met Advani said, after the meeting.

Claiming that the decision was a result of persistent effort of the Commission, Singh said NCM was insisting that since 50 per cent of the population in the national capital speak Punjabi, it should be granted the second language status."

The delegation included, among others, BJP MPs from Delhi V K Malhotra, Madan Lal Khurana and various representatives of the Sikh organisations, he said, adding the meeting was sought by the NCM.

PTI