'Come & invest in broad-minded Bihar,' Influencer asks Karnataka firms, what follows will leave you in splits

Amidst linguistic tensions in Karnataka, Upasana Mishra, an influencer from Bihar, has extended a warm invitation to Karnataka companies to invest in her state.

In her post on X (formerly known as twitter), she expressed, "On behalf of the whole of Bihar, I'm inviting all companies of Karnataka. Come & invest in Bihar, we will help you set up everything. Bihar is a broad-minded state, and we welcome you all. Jai Bihar. Jai Hind." Upasana's post on X quickly gained traction as it went viral, becoming the focal point of memes and online discussions.



The post triggered a wave of responses, ranging from humorous takes on Bihar's infrastructure challenges to appreciative remarks for the gesture. The overwhelming engagement led 'Biharis' to dominate the trending list on X.





Meanwhile, Bengaluru has experienced a surge in linguistic nationalism as pro-Kannada activists, mainly from the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), held a protest on December 27. The demonstrators gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, advocating for the immediate release of detained KRV activists. The protest also saw the participation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members, echoing the demand for the release of KRV State President TA Narayan Gowda.

AAP leader Mukhyamantri Chandru defended the pro-Kannada activists, emphasising that they had not committed any serious offences. He argued that they took action where the government should have, such as removing name boards in English and Hindi. Chandru warned that if the pro-Kannada activists were not released, they would teach the government a lesson in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

On Wednesday, Bengaluru Police detained KRV members who had protested, demanding that businesses and enterprises in Karnataka display signage in Kannada, complying with the state's requirement of 60% Kannada content. The protest, led by KRV State President TA Narayan Gowda, included the vandalising of shops with signboards in English letters and breaking flower pots outside the Mall of Asia in Bangalore.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress Chief DK Shivakumar expressed concern about the protests, stating that while everyone has the right to protest in a democracy, taking the law into one's own hands cannot be tolerated. He emphasised that shops should adhere to the recent BBMP order directing them to prioritise Kannada on signage boards.

Moreover the Congress-led government in Karnataka is set to use an ordinance to enforce the allocation of 60% space on signboards in all business establishments for Kannada, replacing the existing 50:50 ratio. Originally scheduled for implementation by February, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has directed businesses to comply with the new rule by February 28, with the state government planning to amend Section 17 of the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act, 2022, to formalise the change.