Violent protests erupted in various parts of the Karnataka state capital, Bengaluru, including the Kempegowda International Airport, as pro-Kannada groups intensified the language row on Wednesday.
The activists took out rallies in various parts of the city, especially in the business hubs such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Lavelle Road, UB City, Chamarajapet, Chickpet, Kempe Gowda Road, Gandhi Nagar, St Marks Road, Cunningham Road, Residency Road and Sadahalli Gate near Devanahalli.
They destroyed and defaced signboards and nameplates which were not in Kannada.
Later, the agitating members including the KRV convener T A Narayana Gowda, were taken under preventive custody by police.
Advertisement
Speaking to reporters, Gowda said the name plates and signboards in Karnataka should be in Kannada.
"As per rule 60 per cent of the signboards and name plates should be in Kannada. We are not against your business but if you are doing business in Karnataka then you have to respect our language. If you ignore Kannada or put Kannada letters in small, we will not let you operate here," Gowda said.
Demonstrators targeted a hotel, where videos depicted men and women, some adorned in yellow and red scarfs representing the Kannada flag, storming the courtyard and tearing down English signage.
Advertisement
According to an NDTV report, a man also attacked the English signboard of a salon and spa, accompanied by a mob in red and yellow scarfs driving past.
In another instance, men waving red and yellow flags protested outside an Airtel store, with one individual defacing the sign by spraying black paint over the shop's English-language signboard.
The protesters are advocating for the immediate implementation of an order issued by the city's civic body, mandating that all businesses display 60 per cent of their signs in Kannada.
Police security has been tightened near the toll plaza with barricades being set up to prevent the rally from entering the main city area.
This directive follows a meeting with the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, perceived by some as a right-wing group fueling the language dispute. Tushar Giri Nath, BBMP chief, stated that commercial stores within the civic body's jurisdiction have until February 28 to comply. Failure to do so may result in legal action, including the suspension of business licenses.
The language row gained renewed attention after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized in October that "everyone living in this state should learn to speak Kannada."
He stressed the importance of embracing Kannada, emphasizing that people of various linguistic backgrounds have settled in the state. During his previous tenure, Siddaramaiah advocated for the wider use of the local language, leading to actions such as covering Hindi names of Bengaluru metro stations with tape.
