Activist Tears Down English Banners at Bengaluru Mall Amid Uproar Over ‘60% Kannada’ Rule | WATCH

On Friday night, a member of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike tore down placards in front of Bengaluru’s Gopalan Arcade Mall in yet another act of vandalism by pro-Kannada activists.

The pro-Kannada activist arrived to the mall in an auto rickshaw, using a screwdriver to tear down every poster advertising the establishment, and threatened the mall management with severe repercussions if the 60:40 Kannada guideline was not followed.

Describe the 60:40 Rule.
The Congress-led Karnataka government has declared that nameplates and signboards of commercial businesses in Bengaluru must have 60% Kannada characters in an effort to conserve and promote the language.

Following the government’s pronouncement, pro-Kannada demonstrators have been causing unrest in the state by vandalizing English-language commercial enterprises’ signboards and hoardings.

Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that the state government has determined that 60 percent of the space on nameplates and signboards for enterprises shall be in Kannada. He also gave business owners until February 28, 2024, to implement the adjustment.

Siddaramaih announced the decision and said that an ordinance would be filed to guarantee the state’s adoption of the 60:40 guideline.