Taking exception to Kannada being ignored during the 25th convocation of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru on October 10, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said that it is unpardonable to ignore Kannada at an event in which participants included Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
"Hindi gets the first place! English second place! Kannada third place! There is no other better example than this to show that Kannada is in the clutches of those opposed to it. There was a chief minister, a minister and two members of parliament (from Karnataka) on the dais. How did their conscience allow them to take the stage when thousands of years old Kannada was brought down to third place?" Mr. Kumaraswamy tweeted on October 11. He said that the attack on Kannada is increasing every day due to national parties, and is like the attack by foreigners on the country.
“For those who propagate nation first theory, what stops them to say Kannada first in Karnataka? Is it a hidden agenda of the BJP to remove Kannada from Karnataka?” Claiming that insults to Kannada are many, he said ‘should we stay as second grade citizens in the federal structure’. “It is time to fight.”
