An RTI activist in Bengaluru was assaulted and drenched in ink-like substance at a brawl by the members of a pro-Kannada organization. The act took place in the middle of a busy road at Bengaluru’s Chickpet and the video has gone viral on the internet with multiple reactions on violent Kannada activism.
The activist is identified as Uma Shankar and, in the video, the members of the pro Kannada organization were seen drenching him in a black substance during an argument. His clothes were later torn, and he was thrashed, which resulted in a traffic jam. A flagpole which is supposed to be razed down by the civic body caused an argument between Uma Shankar and the pro-Kannada organization members. A police complaint was also reportedly filed against the pro Kannada activists under IPC sections 341, 323, 355, 504, 506, 143, and 149.
In January, a man was seen peeling the stickers that covered Hindi language signs inside Bengaluru’s metro and received a heat from the pro Kannada activists. They later went to his officeand made him apologize for the act.
The pro Kannada activists have been protesting against the Hindi imposition for the last few years and they had also run a campaign called ‘Namma Metro, Hindi Beda’ to remove Hindi language signs from the metro stations and trains.