While Hindi Divas on Wednesday saw protests by both Opposition parties and Kannada groups, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai informed the Legislative Assembly that a new law would be brought in to make Kannada “legally mandatory” and increase the use of the language.
Songs and placards
JD(S) MLAs staged a protest on the Vidhana Soudha premises against the move to celebrate Hindi Divas as a State-sponsored event, while Kannada groups such as Kannada Rakshana Vedike and Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha staged protests in the city. In the Legislative Council, Opposition leaders held placards and wore yellow and red stoles, to protest Hindi Divas. JD(S) members, including S.L. Bhoje Gowda, sang a few lines of ‘Barisu Kannada Dimdimava’ by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu.
