By News18,Sahas Mahapatra

Copyright news18

A single photo of a Bengaluru autorickshaw has now become the hot topic of discussion online. The reason? It reignited the Kannada vs non-Kannada language debate. The viral image shows an auto carrying a bold and offensive message targeting Hindi-speaking drivers.
The poster on the back of the vehicle reads, “GO BACK, Illegal Hindi wala autos. No permit/ no police verification/ no display/ no badge/ no DL. More than 10,000 autos in KR Puram and Mahadevapura zone.”
The picture was first shared on Instagram by a social media user who condemned the message in a message attached to the caption, writing, “Sad to see this. We should not be that hateful towards people working legally, following all rules.”

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A post shared by Namma Bengaluru (@nammabengaluroo)

Internet Criticises The Anger Reflected In The Message
The post quickly went viral, sparking a heated discussion on Bengaluru’s language controversy and cultural coexistence. Many social media users criticised the anger reflected in the message, while others argued that such hatred is unnecessary.
One user commented, “Because of all this hatred and unnecessary charges, people prefer to travel in personal cars, which is adding to the traffic. Bangalore has lost common and civic sense, and it’s applicable to everyone here regardless of state and language. Even animals are aware of coexistence; humans have forgotten it.”
Another added, “Bengaluru has turned into a conflict zone. Wish this ends soon.”
Someone else pointed out, “These people are acting as if Bengaluru is a part of another country and not a part of India. That’s why there is so much hatred.”
Amid this, a person highlighted hypocrisy in the accusations, with one writing, “Running autos without a meter is also illegal. Many local Bangalorean drivers also drive illegally and without a license, so why only blame outsiders?”
A Divided Conversation
While most reactions condemned the message, a few defended the sentiment. One of the comments read, “In Karnataka, Kannadigas are first. Hindi, get out of Bangalore. Good work, sir, for displaying the truth. Jai Karnataka.” Another argued, “He has written ‘illegal,’ and that is not wrong. Unless you encourage illegals.”
The incident has once again brought Bengaluru’s cultural tensions into the spotlight, with thousands debating whether messages like these depict a fight for rights or an example of hate speech.
What do you think—does this spark a much-needed conversation about fairness, or does it cross a dangerous line?