Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday issued a warning to pro-Kannada activists, stressing that they should not resort to taking the law into their own hands regarding the implementation of the 60:40 rule for the use of Kannada on signboards.
He emphasized the mandatory nature of the rule, stating that the government is committed to enforcing it.
“The 60:40 signboards are mandatory. I don’t want pro-Kannada activists to take the law into their own hands on this issue,” he told reporters here.
Shivakumar also conveyed that while time was allowed for the manufacturing of the signboards, he discouraged activists from engaging in vigilantism.
“We allowed time because the manufacturing of the signboards was taking a lot of time. But I don’t want pro-Kannada activists to take the law into their own hands on this issue,” he warned.
The deadline for compliance with the rule expired on Wednesday, with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) reporting that 98 percent of implementation had been achieved.
Earlier, Shivakumar had extended the deadline by two weeks after BBMP initiated shop closures for non-compliance.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike initiated the campaign for Kannada signboards in December 2023, which resulted in vandalism on December 27.
The Commercial Street Shop Owners’ Association stated that about 90 percent of shopkeepers on Commercial Street had complied with the law but expressed concerns about forced implementation.
Furthermore, Shivakumar reassured Bengalurueans that there was no water crisis in the city, as the government had made alternative arrangements.
He refuted claims by the BJP that Cauvery River water was being released to Tamil Nadu, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP MPs to grant permission for the Mekadattu dam.
“BJP is saying that we are releasing water to Tamil Nadu. This is false. I appeal to the PM and BJP MPs that we get permission for the Mekadattu dam,” he stated.
The BJP had previously accused the state Congress government of knowingly allowing a water crisis in Bengaluru and prioritizing the interests of DMK, its alliance partner, by supplying water to Tamil Nadu.
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