<p>Kannada activists and state Opposition leaders on Sunday slammed the importance given to Hindi at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Rapid Action Force campus at Bhadravathi, Shivamogga district.</p>.<p>A banner only in Hindi and a plaque unveiled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which had only Hindi and English, in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa roused the fury of pro-Kannada activists, who took to Twitter to express their outrage at the neglect of Kannada.</p>.<p>On Sunday evening, Kannada activists, already irate at the alleged Hindi imposition by the central government, held a social media campaign.</p>.<p>Several social media users juxtaposed images of two events attended by Shah — one in Bhadravathi and the other in Tamil Nadu. While the text in the stage backdrop was in Tamil at the event in Tamil Nadu, the backdrop in Bhadravathi had only Hindi.</p>.<p>Twitterati rued that Kannada had disappeared in the land of Jnanpith winner Kuvempu. </p>.<p>Narayanagowda TA, president of Kannada Rakshana Vedike, said that Karnataka had not joined the Indian Union to slave for Hindi. "We are part of the Union as pure Kannadigas and will remain so. We have not permitted anyone to sit on our heads," he said.</p>.<p>Over 25,000 tweets on #NoToHindiSlavery's Kannada counterpart were reported around 8 pm on Sunday. Twitter users also dug out an old tweet of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who had said that he would be the first to protest if Kannada was excluded from official boards in Karnataka, asking the MP when he would do so.</p>.<p>JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy also joined in, criticising the government for ignoring Kannada in an event held in Karnataka. He demanded an explanation from Shah on why the three-language policy was violated in the foundation stone plaque.</p>.<p>Kumaraswamy also took a dig at BJP leaders in the state government, saying "those who tolerate insult to the dignity and honour of land as well as its language are not fit to hold the reigns of state's administration".</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah said that if the event is in Karnataka, all banners and plaques should have been in Kannada. "It is a crime. I condemn it," he said.</p>
<p>Kannada activists and state Opposition leaders on Sunday slammed the importance given to Hindi at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Rapid Action Force campus at Bhadravathi, Shivamogga district.</p>.<p>A banner only in Hindi and a plaque unveiled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which had only Hindi and English, in the presence of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa roused the fury of pro-Kannada activists, who took to Twitter to express their outrage at the neglect of Kannada.</p>.<p>On Sunday evening, Kannada activists, already irate at the alleged Hindi imposition by the central government, held a social media campaign.</p>.<p>Several social media users juxtaposed images of two events attended by Shah — one in Bhadravathi and the other in Tamil Nadu. While the text in the stage backdrop was in Tamil at the event in Tamil Nadu, the backdrop in Bhadravathi had only Hindi.</p>.<p>Twitterati rued that Kannada had disappeared in the land of Jnanpith winner Kuvempu. </p>.<p>Narayanagowda TA, president of Kannada Rakshana Vedike, said that Karnataka had not joined the Indian Union to slave for Hindi. "We are part of the Union as pure Kannadigas and will remain so. We have not permitted anyone to sit on our heads," he said.</p>.<p>Over 25,000 tweets on #NoToHindiSlavery's Kannada counterpart were reported around 8 pm on Sunday. Twitter users also dug out an old tweet of BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who had said that he would be the first to protest if Kannada was excluded from official boards in Karnataka, asking the MP when he would do so.</p>.<p>JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy also joined in, criticising the government for ignoring Kannada in an event held in Karnataka. He demanded an explanation from Shah on why the three-language policy was violated in the foundation stone plaque.</p>.<p>Kumaraswamy also took a dig at BJP leaders in the state government, saying "those who tolerate insult to the dignity and honour of land as well as its language are not fit to hold the reigns of state's administration".</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah said that if the event is in Karnataka, all banners and plaques should have been in Kannada. "It is a crime. I condemn it," he said.</p>
