In Bengaluru, a Hindi Diwas event turned tense after pro-Kannada activists stormed into the venue, leading to the arrest of forty-one protestors. The incident took place at a five-star hotel on Race Course Road, where the Ministry of Home Affairs' Rajbhasha Samiti had organised a three-day meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. The seminar, attended by six Members of Parliament, was meant to promote the use of Hindi in government functioning.
According to officials, the disruption occurred on the final day of the event, between 10.45 am and 11 am, when activists from the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), led by Narayan Gowda, barged into the conference hall. They raised slogans condemning what they described as an attempt to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states. The activists alleged that the discussions at the seminar encouraged greater use of Hindi in central government offices and proposed higher pay for officials proficient in the language. This, they argued, amounted to discrimination against local languages like Kannada.
Police intervened swiftly, detaining the protestors and restoring calm inside the venue. A formal statement later confirmed that 41 individuals had been arrested and produced before the 1st ACJM Court, which remanded them to judicial custody. Despite the disruption, authorities ensured that the event continued as scheduled, with additional security deployed to prevent further disturbances.
The protest highlights ongoing tensions in Karnataka over language policies and fears of Hindi imposition. Activist groups such as KRV have long opposed any move perceived as undermining Kannada’s prominence in administration, education, or employment. While the government’s aim was to celebrate Hindi Diwas and promote linguistic inclusivity, the incident once again exposed the deep sensitivities surrounding language politics in southern states.
