Is Namma Metro's MD Kharola the next target of pro-Kannada activists?
- The usage of Kannada is a mandatory in administration work and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been aggressive about pushing this agenda
- IAS officer Srivatsa Krishna and IPS officer Praveen Sood were transferred for their reported 'anti-Kannada' stand
- Even BMRCL MD Pradeep Singh Kharola has earned the wrath of pro-Kannada activists for Hindi boards in Namma Metro stations
FollowAfter the sudden transfer IPS officer Praveen Sood for his reported anti-Kananda stand, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola could be the next target of pro-Kannada activists.
Sood, who was the Commissioner of Bengaluru police, was moved to a non-executive post in just seven months since he assumed the office. It is reported that Sood had earned the wrath of pro-Kannada activists after he filed cases against 36 pro-Kannada activists for blackening the boards in Hindi at Namma Metro stations.
The Kannada activists were irked at the fact that a case was also filed against Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) TA Narayana Gowda, even though even though he was not present at the spot when the Kannada activists had blackened the Hindi boards in Metro.
This was strongly condemned by Kannada activists. Writers Chandrashekhar Patil and actor Satish Belavadi had threatened to launch 'Sood Hatao' movement for his anti-Kannada action. The Siddaramaiah-led government seems to have taken note of the Kannada activists' displeasure and transferred Sood.Â
In fact this was not the first time that the government was being tough on the officers who fail to comply with the 'Kannada mandatory' rule at administrative levels. It may be recalled here that IAS officer Srivatsa Krishna was shunted out to the Central government service after he repeatedly failed to adhere to the 'Kannada must' rule.
It was reported that IAS officer Krishna would refuse to see files in Kannada and would insist his subordinates to hand him files that are in English, alone. Repeated instructions from the government to fall in line to this Harvard-educated IAS officer reportedly went in vain. It is reported that the the State Government Employees Organisation and Kannada activists had lodged a complaint with the Kannada Development Authority.
Upset over his attitude, the government has now transferred the officer to Coffee Board, a Central government undertaking.
Even BMRCL MD Pradeep Singh Kharola's actions on implementation of Hindi has irked Kannada activists. Recently, to a letter by Kannada Development Authority on removing Hindi boards in Namma Metro stations, Kharola had reportedly replied that it was inevitable to use Hindi in Metro boards as part of the three-language formula.
On Tuesday , Kannada Anushtana Mandali lodged a complaint against Kharola and Chief Secretary Subhash Chandra Kuntia for imposition of Hindi language at administrative levels.
