Bengaluru: Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) took out a rally in the city on Wednesday from Sadahalli, near Devanahalli to Cubbon Park, to raise awareness about the 60 per cent Kannada mandate on the signboards. But the rally, which started on a peaceful note, took a violent turn just hours after it commenced.
The members pulled down and damaged English sign boards en route the Airport road. The name boards in English, installed by the shops in Chikkajala, were torn apart by the protesters. Boards of private hotels and other private establishments were also vandalised.
Despite strict police Bandobast near Sadahalli, near Devanahalli, several groups of the KRV outfit flocked to other parts of the city and started pulling down and damaging the signboards in English. The members that had gathered in the Central Business District (CBD) were no less noisy. They hurled stones at the English glass signboards and pulled down hoardings. A few members of the same organisation turned violent and carried out similar acts of vandalism in KR Puram, Rajajinagar and other major areas.
Police have resorted to preventive detentions in CBD areas, KR Puram, Rajajinagar and Sadahalli, near Devanahalli. Addressing the press, T A Narayana Gowda, KRV state president, denounced the police action to stop them and claimed that police were trying to suppress their voices.
He said, “You are also a Kannadiga. We are raising our voice to save our language in our own land. This rally is important for us.”
T A Narayana Gowda reiterated that the deadline is February 28 and even after this if the change of name boards is not implemented, they wouldn't stay quiet.
Police detained Gowda and his supporters.
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.
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