Now, Hindi words go off Majestic Metro station board

The growing opposition to the use of Hindi in Namma Metro signboards made its first impact with authorities masking a part of the display board at Kempegowda Metro station.

The name of the station in Hindi on the signboard at the Chikkalalbagh entrance was covered with Cellophane. When asked, a staffer at the Metro station said the board was covered following a tip-off from police.

“Police alerted us saying the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) workers were planning to lay siege to the station to protest against the use of Hindi and advised us to cover the Hindi words on the signboard,” the staffer explained.

Though a reserve police team has been deployed at the Kempegowda interchange station, police told Metro officials it would be better to take precautionary measures, instead of dealing with a law and order situation.

The opposition to Hindi use, termed by many Kannada activists “Hindi imposition,” resurfaced following the inauguration of the southern stretch of the Green line last month.

Banavasi Balaga started a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #nammametrohindibeda, which took the social media by storm. KRV workers also held a protest in front of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited office days later. “We will take action if you don’t remove Hindi,” they had said.

Metro loco pilot hospitalised
A 23-year-old loco pilot working for Namma Metro was shifted to the hospital after he complained of chest pain and breathing problems on Sunday afternoon.

Sources in Apollo Hospital in Sheshadripuram said he was brought to there at 1.30 pm. “It was a minor complaint. The patient is fine now and will be released on Monday,” they said, adding that the chest pain might have been caused by stress.