All cases against pro-Kannada activists will be withdrawn: CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that all cases registered against pro-Kannada activists who held protests against alleged violation of language norms by business establishments in the state, will be withdrawn.

The CM was addressing a gathering at the unveiling of the 25-feet-tall bronze statue of Bhuvaneshwari, the goddess who represents the Karnataka state identity, on the Vidhana Soudha premises on Monday.

The statue sculpted at an approximate cost of Rs 21.24 crore is 41-feet-tall including the pedestal, and weighs around 31.5 tonne.

While speaking at the event, although he acknowledged that one must love and embrace all languages, the CM said, in Karnataka, Kannadigas should follow the culture of speaking and interacting with their brothers and other speakers in Kannada.

"Instead of speaking incorrectly in other languages, we should speak our own language. In all our neighbouring states, the language spoken by the people of the respective state is sovereign. This should be practiced here, too," said Siddaramaiah.

Insisting that everyone in the state should develop respect for the Kannada language, culture and art, the CM called for more learning and teaching of reading and writing Kannada.

Only then will Kannada become the sovereign language, he added.

In 2023, activists of various pro-Kannada outfits had targetted shops and business establishments which did not display Kannada signboards, advertisements and name plates.

Protests were held calling for businesses to comply with the state government's rule requiring 60 percent of nameplates to be in Kannada. Cases were registered against many activists.