Kannada language imposition: Signboards, hotels vandalised in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction) on Wednesday targeted business establishments in Bengaluru and damaged their signboards and name plates which did not use Kannada.

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.

The activists said the business establishments were "undermining the official language of Karnataka, which is Kannada."

Many malls, shops, commercial buildings, companies and factories, especially multinational companies, faced the ire of KRV activists. They destroyed and defaced signboards and name plates which were not in Kannada. Later, the agitating members including the KRV convener T A Narayana Gowda, were taken under preventive custody by police.

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.

Earlier, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) gave 15 days for business establishments to get their name boards printed by 60% in Kannada and the remaining in English.