Hindi words on signboards at 2 B'luru metro stations masked amid protests
The move came amid fear that the protesters were planning to blacken the signboards at Chickpete and Majestic metro stations.
Bengaluru: Hindi words on signboards at two Bengaluru Metro stations were on Monday masked fearing vandalism at the vicinity. The step was taken even though no official announcement was made for the removal of the language.
According to a NDTV report, the move came amid fear that the protesters were planning to blacken the signboards at Chickpete and Majestic metro stations. Protesters have been agitating against the use of Hindi language at metro stations in a non-Hindi speaking state.
It is, however, unclear who ordered the masking of Hindi words on the signboards. Meanwhile, police have said the instruction did not come from them.
"Based on our assessment we have provided extra security to a few stations, we haven't asked the metro corporation to cover any signboard," NDTV quoted police officer Anucheth as saying.
Recently, the language had also vanished from the Mantri Square-Sampige Road Metro station's name board. The station's name is now written only in Kannada and English.
The use of Hindi language by the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) prompted a social media outrage, which quickly turned into an offline protest with pro-Kannada organisations holding a demonstration.
The argument over having Hindi signage and direction boards in the Metro rail, led to #NammaMetroHindiBeda, followed by a notice sent from Kannada Development Authority to Metro officials.