Bengaluru: The Congress-led government in Karnataka on Tuesday tabled a bill mandating 60% use of Kannada in signboards of businesses and establishments across the state in legislative assembly during the ongoing budget session. The Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Bill, 2024, seeks to amend the 2022 Act.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, Kannada shall be displayed in the upper half of the name board, occupying 60% of the space on signboards.

The amendment bill covers various sectors such as commercial, industrial, and business establishments, trusts, counselling centres, hospitals, laboratories, amusement centres, and hotels, functioning with the approval of the state government or local authorities.

The bill also proposes amendments to appoint the director of the Directorate of Kannada and Culture as a member, and the secretary of the Kannada Development Authority as the convener of the “State Level Committee”. This committee will serve as an enforcement authority responsible for implementing the use of the official language.

The budget session of the Karnataka legislature, which began on Monday, is scheduled to end on February 23.

On January 5, the chief minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka cabinet gave its approval to an ordinance to amend the 2022 Act to enforce mandatory 60% use of the Kannada in signages.

The decision to take the ordinance route had come in the wake of violent demonstrations by pro-Kannada groups, who targeted business establishments in Bengaluru for allegedly neglecting the state language. However, governor Thaawarchand Gehlot returned the ordinance, advising the state government to present it as a bill before the state legislature for approval, citing the notification for summoning both Houses for a session was already issued.

On December 27 last year, a group of pro-Kannada activists vandalised several business establishments across the city, demanding 60% Kannada usage on signboards.

In response, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city’s civic body, initiated a drive to enforce the 60% Kannada rule for name boards on commercial establishments. Till last week, around 34,000 notices have been issued to businesses over non-compliance, with the civic body setting February 28 as deadline for compliance. In the Bommanahalli area alone, reportedly more than 6,000 notices were sent to shops, instructing them to adhere to the Kannada requirement before the deadline.

Meanwhile, tensions flared in the Karnataka legislative assembly on Tuesday as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

On the commencement of the session, leader of opposition R Ashoka called for an immediate discussion on the issue, citing recent incidents such as the stripping and public humiliation of a woman in Belagavi, the gangrape in Haveri, and rising instances of cybercrime and terrorism. Ashoka said, there is an need for addressing these issues and criticised the government’s perceived inaction.

“The law and order situation has deteriorated, with recent incidents like woman stripped naked and paraded in Belagavi, Haveri gangrape, cybercrime, and terror related activities. Our adjournment notice should be allowed and discussion has to be taken up on this. During the last Belagavi session also, we pressed for adjournment motion on the matter, and it was then listed in the agenda, but was not discussed,” he said.

In response, state home minister G Parameshwara assured that the government would address the allegations after the question hour. He pledged to respond to concerns about law and order while highlighting incidents that occurred during the BJP’s tenure.

Jumping to Ashoka’s support, BJP MLA and party’s state general secretary Sunil Kumar said, the matter is of utmost importance as cases were registered against other people who were not involved in the Haveri gangrape case. Also those who hoisted “Hanuma Dwaja” in Mandya were lathi-charged. “The issue (law and order) should be taken up on priority as there seems to be lawlessness in the state.”