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Reigniting the language debate, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday, November 1, accused the Union government of neglecting Kannada while extending generous grants for the development of Hindi and Sanskrit. Speaking at the Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations in Bengaluru, he said that the denial of adequate funds for Kannada’s growth amounts to “injustice” towards one of India’s oldest classical languages. Siddaramaiah said that despite Kannada being recognised as a classical language, it has not received the same level of financial or institutional support as other languages promoted by the Centre. “Grants are being given for the development of Hindi and Sanskrit, but not for other Indian languages. This is unfair to Kannada,” he remarked, urging the state to assert its linguistic rights. The Chief Minister also called upon Kannadigas to resist any attempt to undermine the state’s language, culture, or identity. “We have to oppose all those who are anti-Kannada,” he said, emphasising the need for unity in safeguarding the state’s linguistic heritage.
