Siddaramaiah issues a warning after a demonstration in Bengaluru becomes violent.

Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedika, a pro-Kannada activist organization, were arrested on Wednesday after vandalizing some establishments in Bengaluru and demanding that Kannada nameplates be installed in accordance with local authority requirements. Several videos of their rampaging around the streets of Bengaluru in front of the Phoenix Mall of Asia went viral. 

Karnataka Rakshana Vedika president TN Narayan Gowda claimed his organization organized a protest march regarding the government’s 60% Kannada on signboard ordinance. Some social media sites claimed that nameplates with Kannada, in addition to English, had been vandalized.

‘Do not act before February 28.

On Wednesday, the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry stated that the authorities should not act before the deadline. The federation stated that it will request that all of its members respect the guideline, but that the government should not take any action against enterprises before the deadline. Many establishments were unaware that the 60% Kannada requirement was a BBMP rule, not a demand from some fringe organizations.

What exactly is the 60% Kannada rule?

with the requirement that all commercial businesses display 60% of their signs in Kannada. According to this rule, more than half of a signboard should be in Kannada. A deadline of February 28 has been set, after which the stores will be closed and their trade licenses will be revoked.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedika president TN Narayan Gowda stated that if businesses do not want Kannada names on their signboards, they should relocate to another state. “In Bangalore, people from various states conduct business.” However, they do not have Kannada nameplates on their stores. 

They are just putting up English nameplates on their storefronts. If they wish to stay in Bangalore, they must place Kannada nameplates on their shops, or they must relocate from Karnataka to other states.”

“We told them to put a Kannada nameplate, but Mall of Asia (Bangalore) didn’t bother and hasn’t put a Kannada nameplate, so we’re going to fight this.” The Mall of Asia (Bengaluru) is currently under police protection.