Bengaluru police arrest more than 50 KRV members for vandalism over Kannada signboards

Bengaluru: Bengaluru police late Wednesday night arrested more than 50 Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) members, including their state president, TA Narayana Gowda, over the vandalism reported on Wednesday in the city.

KRV members on Wednesday vandalised shops and business establishments across the city that did not have the signboards printed in Kannada.

Earlier on Sunday, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had announced to enforce the 60 per cent Kannada on name boards rule for commercial establishments and gave February 28 as the deadline for the changeover.

Bengaluru city police chief, B Dayananda on Thursday told DH that more than 50 people have been arrested till now and they would continue to book cases.

Dayananda said that they opened criminal cases against the people involved in vandalising the shops. “Apart from 50 cases that have already been registered, we are continuing to book more cases with shopkeepers coming forward to file complaints against the miscreants. We will track down the people involved and arrest them," he told DH.

He underscored that more than 1,000 preventive detentions were made on Wednesday and they were let off in the night. Elaborate arrangements have been made to tackle any untoward incident, he said.

The arrested have been placed in judicial custody for 14 days, according to the police sources.

In Chikkajala police station alone, 28 cases have been filed. The protestors have been booked for blocking National Highway, the other IPC sections invoked are 341 (wrongful restraint), 283 (cause danger, obstruction or injury to any person), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 427 (mischief mongering), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).

Dy CM and Home minister react

Karnataka Dy CM D K Shivakumar said: “We don't have any objection to people protesting to save and preserve Kannada language and culture, but no one should break the law. We are not ready to accept acts of vandalising properties in Bengaluru. Yes, we should save Kannada and we respect protestors speaking for Kannada but when citizens' properties are destroyed, the government won’t sit quiet.” “I have told Narayana Gowda that vandalism is not acceptable. No one should break the rules,” he said.

He underscored that the government is committed to mandate Kannada signboards in shops and make sure the rule is enforced.

“The CM has told all cabinet members to use only Kannada to comment inside the cabinet. We are also Kannadigas, we respect kannada but causing trouble is not acceptable,” he added.

Home minister G Parameshwara condemned the whole incident and said that notices would be sent to the suspects and law will be enforced. The activists should have a little patience, he said.

Commenting on the protestors' claim that police didn’t treat them "properly", Paraweshwara asked, “Then how should they be treated? Police would let you protest for a few minutes so that you could express your concerns publicly but if you vandalise properties should they sit quietly?”

KRV intensifies plan, plan to protest at Freedom Park

A spokesperson from KRV told DH that they would protest against the arrest of their president at Freedom Park. "Arresting them was not right. We are going to hold a protest at Freedom Park and leaders from other parties are expected to join us. We condemn police action,” he said.

“We won’t hold back,” said the spokesperson, adding that the protest will intensify and this would spread to different parts of the state.