Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday, 17 January, criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CM BS Yediyurappa for ignoring Kannada language and not implementing the three-language policy in the plaques of the foundation stone laid at an event in Karnataka.
On Saturday, Shah laid the foundation stone for the new campus of the Reserve Police Force in Shivamogga district’s Bhadravathi. When the plaques were revealed, they only contained inscriptions in Hindi and English languages.
Kumaraswamy accused Chief Minister Yediyurappa of ignoring the need to stand up for “the dignity and honour of the land and language”.
“The behaviour of Shah who has ignored Kannada in the process of providing prominence to English and Hindi indicates anti-Kannada attitude. It is an insult to the pride of Kannadigas. It is Karnataka that has given land for the Centre’s RAF unit,” he tweeted.
Calling the exclusion of Kannada language from the plaques an “unpardonable act” as the land for the RAF campus was in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy said the state’s language was “completely ignored.”
Lashing out at Shah and Yediyurappa, he said that those who “tolerate insult to the dignity and honour of land” are not fit to hold the reins of administration.
“The act and behaviour of the Union home minister, chief minister and deputy chief minister are nothing but betraying Kannadigas,” Kumaraswamy said.
Kumaraswamy questioned the Union government as to why it did not adhere to its own three-language policy and called the incident a slight to Kannada language. “Amit Shah should clarify to Kannadigas on the episode of violation of three-language formula in the foundation stone plaque,” he added.
The former chief minister reminded the Union government of its responsibility to “respect languages of different states” and that regional languages are not undermined.
“... Our country, which is known for its diversity, has adopted the three-language formula to ensure that the importance of state languages is not undermined. But violation of such a sensitive norm by the union home minister himself is an insult to the Kannada language as well as Kannadigas,” Kumaraswamy said in his tweets.
(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission)
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