Bengaluru: Bannerghatta police on Monday arrested a 54-year-old ex-serviceman, P V Suresh, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against students for speaking Kannada at AMC Engineering College. The college management has also dismissed Suresh from his position as hostel warden with immediate effect.
The incident was sparked when a group of hostel students approached Suresh to complain about poor hygiene on the premises. According to police, Suresh, a native of Kerala, grew angry when the students spoke in Kannada. He reportedly insisted that they should not use the language on campus, telling them to "speak Kannada at home" and asserting that he would decide whether Hindi or Kannada should be used.
A video of the confrontation recorded by the students went viral on social media, prompting a swift response from both the institution and local authorities. By Monday afternoon, the college issued an official dismissal letter stating Suresh was removed "in the interest of the institution."
Bannerghatta police registered an FIR and arrested Suresh on Monday. He has since been handed over to judicial custody.
A senior officer confirmed that the warden's objection to the language, combined with his dismissal of student grievances regarding hygiene, led to the escalation.
The incident drew heavy criticism from pro-Kannada organisations, who staged protests at the Bannerghatta Road campus. The Chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), Purushottama Bilimale, sought an immediate report from the college principal, characterising the event as part of an "intensifying language conflict."
Bilimale has called for the Higher Education Department to mandate that private institutions prioritise hiring staff who are proficient in Kannada and respectful of local culture. He also urged the government to establish "self-regulatory mechanisms" to monitor linguistic disputes in private schools and colleges.