Read updated copy here: Hindi signs on Bengaluru's Namma Metro covered up, but no one knows who did it
As the #NammaMetroHindiBeda campaign gained steam over the last couple of days, even forcing Karnataka Chief Minister to condemn the use of Hindi signage boards in the metro station, the officials have now masked the signboards at two stations.
The Hindu reports that the Hindi signage boards have been masked in Kempagowda interchange metro station and Chickpete station, after the police got a tip-off that pro-Kannada groups were set to stage a protest.
The move, say reports, was to prevent the protestors from entering the stations and vandalising the property.
“In order to prevent any untoward incident, the police reportedly advised Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) officials to do away with Hindi signboards,” sources told the newspaper.
The BMRCL had also requested the Karnataka police and Karnataka Industrial Security Force (KISF) to provide security, following which, they were deployed at both the stations.
The #NammaMetroHindiBeda campaign kickstarted soon after the Green Line was inaugurated earlier in June. With most signage boards in Kannada, English and Hindi, a social media campaign began questioning the need to use Hindi.
CM Siddaramaiah had recently said that the state will lodge a protest with the Centre regarding this.
"The Karnataka government will not tolerate imposition of Hindi. Hindi is being used in Metro rail citing the three-language formula. Metro is not a central government project. The major funding is by the state government," Siddaramaiah said.
Read updated copy here: Hindi signs on Bengaluru's Namma Metro covered up, but no one knows who did it
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