The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged a protest, advocating for the mandatory inclusion of Kannada nameplates in all businesses and enterprises across Karnataka. The demonstration emphasized the importance of promoting the local language and cultural identity, urging businesses to comply with the directive to display nameplates in Kannada.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction) on Wednesday targeted business establishments in Bengaluru and damaged their signboards and name plates which did not use Kannada.
The activists took out rallies in various parts of the city, especially in the business hubs such as MG Road, Brigade Road, Lavelle Road, UB City, Chamarajapet, Chickpet, Kempe Gowda Road, Gandhi Nagar, St Marks Road, Cunningham Road, Residency Road and Sadahalli Gate near Devanahalli.
Bengaluru's civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has issued a directive instructing shop owners to install 60% Kannada language nameplates by February 28. Tushar Giri Nath, the chief commissioner of BBMP, has emphasized that strict action will be taken against those who fail to comply with the requirement of displaying Kannada nameplates at their shop fronts.
There are 1400 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city, and all the commercial shops on these roads will be surveyed zone-wise. After the survey, a notice will be given to the shops that do not use 60% Kannada language. After issuing the notice, they will be given time till February 28 to implement Kannada language nameplates and submit compliance to the respective zone commissioners, Tushar Giri Nath said.