Kannada signage rule: HC directs Karnataka govt not to take precipitative action against shops

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has restrained the state government from taking any precipitative action against commercial establishments that fail to adhere to the rule that required 60 per cent of the signboard to be in Kannada, and said the matter required further consideration.

A single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna on Monday observed that the Karnataka government's 60 per cent Kannada signage rule under the recently passed law is ‘prima facie untenable’.

He even maintained that the matter would require further consideration and a statement of objection by the state.

The High Court was hearing a petition filed by the Retailers’ Association of India challenging the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Act, 2024 which stipulates that 60 per cent of the signage or nameplates in the state should be in Kannada.

The decision was taken after the pro-Kannada organisations went on a rampage in 2023 and vandalised many shops, business establishments and hotels for allegedly not respecting the Kannada language.