Protests over Hindi signboards grow in Bengaluru as pro-Kannada activists deface more signages

Bengaluru: Protests over Hindi name boards continued here on Thursday even as pro-Kannada activists defaced more signages in the city.

Signages at Yeshwantpur, Peenya, Deepanjali Nagar, Jayanagar and Mysore Road metro stations were targeted by the protesters late on Wednesday night.

The police have beefed-up security outside all 42 Metro stations in the city after the defacement came to light on Thursday morning.

The activists also held a protest outside the Rajaji Nagar Metro station on Thursday morning.

Police said they tried to block the entrance of metro stations by staging protest, however, they were forcefully removed and at some stations, they were detained.

The anti-Hindi protests began here on July 3 when the activists defaced Hindi name boards at Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda and Chickpet metro stations.

The members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) have reportedly carried out the defacement. On July 6, it had also defaced the English and Hindi signage of a restaurant in a mall near Bengaluru's famed Eco tech park.

CM Siddaramaiah has reportedly supported the anti-Hindi brigade and has asked the officials to find out what policy was followed in non-Hindi states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal.

Following the Chief Minister's directive, the Kannada Development Authority on July 4 had issued issued notice to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) and sought an explanation why it was using three-language policy.

Earlier this year, the Centre notified a recommendation of the Parliamentary panel after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his nod to the suggestion.

The Parliamentary panel had recommended the use of Hindi by parliamentarians and ministers. The recommendation had been sent to the President in June, 2011.

Parties like Karnataka's Janata Dal (Secular) and Tamil Nadu's Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) have criticised the Centre for 'imposing' Hindi language in their states.

DMK acting president M.K. Stalin threatened to begin an anti-Hindi agitation after milestones marked in Hindi were seen on Tamil Nadu highways.

Meanwhile, KRV has reportedly invited regional parties from non-hindi speaking states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to form an anti-Hindi front.

It has also called a meeting of parties that are fighting for linguistic rights, India Today reported.

The report claimed that KRV has alleged that the tax payer's money has been used to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states under the disguise of official language.

The organisation has sought support from regional parties to support its fight against 'Hindi hegemony'.

"Our fight is not against Hindi but for linguistic equality for which we have called all regional parties like DMK, TMC, TDP AIADMK, TRS with linguistic agenda," India Today quoted KRV activist Aru Ambuga as saying.