The protests over the usage of Hindi in Namma Metro signages continued on Friday with members of several pro-Kannada organisations staging a demonstration in front of the office of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) and submitting a memorandum to Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola.
Over the past few days, the issue has been hotly debated on social media where activists are fighting against “Hindi imposition” on Namma Metro. The hashtag - #NammaMetroHindiBeda - has seen several arguments against the use of Hindi and in favour of a bilingual system for the Metro in Bengaluru.
This had led to the Kannada Development Authority issuing a notice to Mr. Kharola on Thursday, demanding to know from him in seven days why Hindi had been used. The notice had termed the usage a violation of several provisions of the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) Services, and directives of the Union Home Ministry.
Speaking to reporters after accepting the memorandum, Mr. Kharola said, “We have received the memorandum that Hindi should not be used in name boards in the metro stations. We will forward it to the Government of India. We have used three languages based on the instructions of the Government of India.”
