Urdu and English names on the name board of Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike‘s new building has triggered a controversy.
A few corporators, joined by a group of Kannada activists, on Saturday staged a protest. They took Mahanagara Palike Commissioner R S Peddappaiah to task and demanded the immediate removal of Urdu from the board.
Commissioner Peddappaiah told reporters, “I got to know about the incident on late on Friday night. I have seen the board with Urdu and English names. I do not know who is involved in it. Strict legal action will be taken against those behind it.”
Corporators R S Patil, Vittal Jadhav, Shivaswamy, Shivananda Patil Astagi and Veeranna Honnalli and over 15 activists of pro-Kannada outfits were detained and released later.
In February 2018, SDPI and pro-Kannada activists had staged pro and against protests, after the Palike had installed a board on the new building with Kannada, Urdu and English names.
A few Kannada activists had then smeared the board with black ink. Following the intense protests, the Palike had removed Urdu and English names from the name board.
Rumour has it that some corporators were present during affixing Urdu and English names on the name board.