BENGALURU, 28 FEB

As the deadline for installing nameplates with 60 per cent Kannada ended on Wednesday, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Tushar Girinath said 90 per cent of the shops in the City have replaced the name plates with stipulated ones. The remaining shops will have to do it by Thursday evening or their licences will be suspended, Girinath said.

“A few international companies, State Bank of India and Canara Bank have requested an extension of the deadline. We have called a meeting on Thursday evening, it will be then decided if the extension has to be granted,” Girinath said.

An order to seal down the establishments and cancel the licences has been passed by BBMP.

Meanwhile, pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj said: “If the nameplates are not completely changed by Wednesday, we will hold protests.”  Nagaraj urged the government to take a stand on the employment of Kannadigas in private companies. “If a survey is conducted, the government will realise the number of Kannadigas employed,” he said.

The cases against politicians or political parties will be withdrawn but the cases against pro-Kannada protesters have not been withdrawn, this is unfortunate, Nagaraj said.

In December 2023, BBMP ordered all commercial establishments to have name boards with 60 per cent Kannada. A bill for it was also passed in the State Assembly on 15 February.