Bengaluru, 19 July

Protests erupted in Bengaluru on Thursday as Kannada rights groups voiced their outrage over the State government's decision to withdraw the Karnataka Job Reservation Act. The Act, which proposed reserving 50 per cent of management positions and 75 per cent of non-management positions in private companies for Kannadigas, was met with fierce opposition from industry leaders.

The pro-Kannada organisations protested near Mysore Bank Circle. The protests intensified after PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam publicly criticised the bill on social media. Nigam's remarks, deemed insensitive by many Kannadigas, sparked a "#BoycottPhonePe" campaign with users uninstalling the app in protest. Filmmaker Santhosh Anandram joined the movement, urging others to follow suit.

In a post, Nigam's said, "Karnataka only Kannada speaking people. Get it? I can work wherever I want in India. I can learn any language that I want to. The Constitution of India gives me these rights. IT'S MY CHOICE. Get the hue and cry (sic).”

Protesters at Mysore Bank Circle demanded the government reinstate the bill and resist pressure from corporations. Karave Praveen Shetty faction threatened state-wide protests and boycotts of companies such as Biocon and Manipal Group, accusing their owners Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Mohandas Pai of exploiting Karnataka's resources while opposing job opportunities for Kannadigas. -Salar News