Responding to incidents of vandalism by pro-Kannada activists on Wednesday, December 27, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah issued a stern warning against actions violating the law. The Chief Minister on Thursday said that while the government encourages peaceful demonstrations, any breach of the law will result in legal consequences. “Organisations should do peaceful protests. But if there is violation of law, legal action will be taken against such a person,” he said.
Hundreds of activists belonging to Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, a pro-Kannada group took to streets in Bengaluru, opposing the signboards primarily in English without prominent Kannada signage in various areas. The protests escalated as the activists engaged in acts of vandalism, calling for the immediate installation of Kannada signages. Demonstrators went as far as removing boards featuring both English and Kannada signage, particularly if the Kannada fonts were smaller in size.
Chief Minister Siddaramiah expressed his support for the demands put forth by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, a pro-Kannada organisation advocating for Kannada nameplates on commercial stores in Bengaluru. He said, "Our government is not against any other language. However, in Karnataka, it is mandated by law that the nameplates should be in Kannada. This is the law of our land, and everyone should adhere to it."
The recent wave of protests were triggered by a December 24 order from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), stating that trade licences of commercial establishments failing to prominently feature Kannada on their display boards – occupying at least 60% of space – will be cancelled by February 28, 2024. The BBMP rule aligns with existing state rules on sign boards.
Read: Pro Kannada protests: What the rules on Kannada sign board are
Citing Section 17(6) of the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act 2022, the Chief Minister explained that the upper half of signboards for various establishments, including commercial industries, business establishments, consultation centres, hospitals, laboratories, entertainment centres, and hotels, must be in Kannada.
Furthermore, Rule 17(8) of the Act specifies that a prescribed percentage of content in advertisements and notices displayed in the state must be in Kannada. He said that the government will soon issue a notification to prominently feature Kannada on their sign boards. “The state government will determine the classification of advertisements and the percentage of content to be displayed in Kannada, and the government will promptly issue a notification to implement this provision,” said the Chief Minister.