Bengaluru Zomato Manager Apologises After ‘Learn Hindi or Leave Job’ Viral Video Sparks Outrage

A Zomato shift manager in Bengaluru sparked a major linguistic controversy after allegedly telling Kannada-speaking workers to learn Hindi or leave their jobs. The incident led to protests by pro-Kannada organisations and prompted the police to register a suo motu case against the manager.

A Zomato shift manager allegedly instructed Kannada-speaking workers to "learn Hindi or leave" their employment, sparking a linguistic controversy in Bengaluru. Pro-Kannada organisations have protested after a video of the purported interaction inside a Zomato-rented warehouse in Madanayakanahalli near Nelamangala went viral, reigniting the language dispute in Karnataka workplaces.

The accused has been identified as 31-year-old Ashok Muttayy, who is reportedly from Andhra Pradesh and was working as a shift manager at the warehouse. According to police, the controversy began after a video showing an interaction between Muttayy and warehouse employees surfaced on social media.

According to the allegations, Muttayy can be seen in the video speaking to the employees in Hindi during what was characterised as an official encounter. As a result of the fact that the workplace was situated in the state of Karnataka, he allegedly declined to speak in Kannada when he was asked to do so by a few colleagues. He also questioned the rationale for his refusal.

Workers can reportedly be heard telling him, “Speak in Kannada," and “This is Karnataka." Muttayy allegedly responded, “I don’t know Kannada. I will speak in Hindi and what if this is Karnataka?"

His alleged remarks did not stop there. He reportedly told Kannada-speaking employees, “Kannada-speaking ones can go, I have no problem," while also suggesting that those who did not understand Hindi should learn the language or leave their jobs.

Case Filed Against Zomato Manager

Following the outcry, members of a number of pro-Kannada groups allegedly assembled outside the facility and addressed the Madanayakanahalli police station in order to demand that the management be subjected to severe punishment. Following the occurrence, the police initiated a case against Muttayy in connection with the event on their own initiative.

“We registered a suo motu case and filed a petition against Ashok for his act. Ashok later apologised for his conduct," an investigating officer told TOI.

Reports also stated that Muttayy was briefly taken into custody during the protests before the situation was brought under control. As the controversy intensified, an apology video featuring Muttayy also surfaced online. In the video, he expressed regret over his remarks and apologised for his conduct.

The apologies, on the other hand, did not significantly resolve the dispute that was taking place online. A number of users on social media questioned whether or not the apology was sincere, while others stated that the scandal brought attention to a more widespread problem of language, communication in the workplace, and the treatment of those who speak the local language.

One user supported the Kannada-speaking employees, writing, “He speaks Hindi like a South Indian 😂😂 the guy calling out “karnatak" has the Hindi belt written all over his voice. Someone’s having fun somewhere."

Another user praised the response from Kannada groups, saying, “Good job Kannadigas.. Local language cannot be discriminated… he was treated nicely i suppose."