New Delhi: The Bengaluru police on Wednesday cracked down on a protest by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada activist group, who demanded that all businesses and enterprises in Karnataka should display nameplates in Kannada in their shops as per the state government rule that 60 per cent of the nameplate should be in Kannada. The protest, led by KRV State President T A Narayan Gowda, was aimed at creating public awareness about the importance of Kannada language and culture.
However, some of the KRV activists also resorted to vandalism and damaged some of the shop boards carrying English nameplates. They also broke flower pots, signboards and sprayed black ink outside the Mall of Asia in Bengaluru.
KRV State President T N Narayan Gowda said that many people from other states are doing business in Bengaluru but they are not respecting the local language and identity. He said that they should either put up nameplates in Kannada or leave the state. He also said that there is a Karnataka government law that mandates 60 per cent of the nameplate to be in Kannada but no one is following it properly.
“We are holding a massive awareness protest rally today. If the police stop us today, our struggle will not stop. We will continue the rally every day till our demands are met,” he said. He also accused the Mall of Asia of ignoring their request to put up a Kannada nameplate and said that they will fight against it. He said that the police are providing full protection to the mall today but they will not be able to do so tomorrow.
He said that their activists will protest again until their demand is fulfilled. The rally started from Nada Prabhu Kempegowda International Airport Toll (Sadarahalli Gate) and ended at Cubbon Park. Earlier, Tushar Giri Nath, chief commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), had said that by February 28, all the commercial shops under the BBMP need to install 60 per cent Kannada language nameplates, failing which they will face legal action.
He had said that he will hold a meeting with all the zonal commissioners and issue appropriate directions to ensure the compliance of the rule. He had said that all the commercial shops on the 1400 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city will be surveyed zone-wise and given a notice to implement Kannada language nameplates by February 28.
