Kannada signboards row: Vandalism would roil Karnataka's investor-friendly image, warns minister

The pro-Kannada protests ravaging Bengaluru are turning into a point of concern for the ruling Congress, which says the vandalism of business places over the past week could damage the state's reputation as an investment friendly region. Industries minister MB Patil on Friday cautioned agitators who had blackened shop windows two days ago, saying there was fierce competition among states for attracting investments, and no state was indispensable for businesses.

“When such incidents happen, they go viral everywhere…pro-Kannada fighters should pay attention to this,” said Patil, whose department processed 14 investment proposals worth about Rs 34,000 crore early this month.

Patil said his department would soon issue an advisory regarding the use of Kannada in industries under its jurisdiction.


Earlier this week, civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had issued a notice that all business' nameplates need to be at least 60% Kannada by the end of February. The government had come out in support, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah insisting on strict compliance with the policy on use of local language on sign boards as well.

The protest however, turned violent on Wednesday, with activists from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) vandalising malls and blackening Hindi and English signs on prominent outlets like Starbucks, Third Wave Coffee, Theobroma, and House of Masaba. The police have arrested KRV state president TA Narayan Gowda and 29 of his associates.

Protests like this dent the image of the city, trade activist Sajjan Raj Mehta told ET. “We were never against the law, and we were regularly using Kannada boards too. When the 60% limit was imposed, we started to change boards. It is unfortunate that things turned ugly before the deadline,” he said.