Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah to hold meeting over signboard protests

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to hold a high-level meeting on Thursday over the forced installation of Kannada signboards at shops and offices.

Officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the primary civic body in the city, and the state Culture Department will participate in the meeting, according to sources.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) expressed concern over the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) directions for inscribing '60 percent Kannada' letters on all name boards for commercial establishments.

The FKCCI, while reiterating that it will always follow the rules of the government, stated that it will also instruct its members to adhere to the orders of the state or BBMP.

However, the FKCCI also urged the state government not to initiate any action under the above rule until the deadline of February 28, next year.

"We request the Government of Karnataka and BBMP not to initiate any action for the above rule till the deadline of 28th February 2024 and also urges the Government to ensure that no one takes law in their own hands to harass the Trade and Commercial establishments," Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, president, FKCCI said in a statement.

Bengaluru Police, on Wednesday, detained the members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada activist group, who staged a protest in Bengaluru demanding that all businesses and enterprises in Karnataka put up boards in Kannada at their shops and commercial establishments in keeping with the state's obligation that 60 per cent of them are in Kannada.

The public awareness protest was held under the leadership of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike State President T A Narayan Gowda.

It has also come to the fore that the KRV activists also vandalised shops that had signboards in English letters. The members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike also broke flower pots outside the Mall of Asia in Bangalore, broke signboards in English and sprayed black ink on them, officials said earlier.

KRV state president TN Narayan Gowda said, "People from various states are settled in Bengaluru and run businesses. However, they don't put up Kannada boards. They mostly put up boards carrying English letters. If they want to stay in Bengaluru and run their establishments with hassles, they have to install signboards carrying Kannada letters. Otherwise, they should consider shifting to other states."

He also cited a law by the Karnataka government, stipulating that 60 per cent of the signboards on shops and commercial establishments carry Kannada letters.