A day after several members of the pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) blackened the Hindi signage at multiple metro stations in Bengaluru, they are set to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, say reports.
The Times of India reports that a delegation of KRV members will meet the CM on Friday, to discuss the future course of action. This, after the activists set out on a second round of "board blackening" protest on Wednesday, against what they call the Centre's imposition of Hindi language.
The meeting comes a day after the members blackened signage boards at a number of metro stations including Deepanjali Nagar, Peenya, Jayanagar, Baiyappanahalli, Indiranagar, Mysuru Road and Yeshwantpur. The agitation was part of the #NammaMetroHindiBeda campaign that began over a month ago, against the Centre's three language policy, by having signage boards in Hindi in all metro stations.
According to reports, six activists were arrested on Wednesday for blackening the boards from KR Market metro station. They were subsequently sent to judicial custody. The members have also reportedly threatened a rail roko, if their demands aren't met.
“We gave time to BMRCL and the government after our activists blackened the boards at Chikkapete and Majestic. Their inaction prompted us to re-launch the agitation," Vedike president TA Narayana Gowda told TOI.
However, BMRCL reportedly restored the boards soon.
Ganesh Chethan, a member of the KRV told TNM, "We will not stop until BMRCL and the government relent and remove the Hindi signs. We had issued a deadline to BMRCL to remove the signs. The deadline got over on Wednesday. So, we started covering up the Hindi signs."