CM Siddaramaiah to withdraw all cases against pro-Kannada activists

BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that all cases filed against pro-Kannada activists during the struggle for the language will be withdrawn. Siddaramaiah further accused the previous BJP government in the state of ‘deliberately’ neglecting the golden jubilee celebration for Karnataka’s formation.

Notably, the state of Karnataka was formerly known as Mysore State, but was renamed in 1973. “When D Devaraj Urs was the Chief Minister, he renamed Mysore State as Karnataka. Even though 2023 was the 50th anniversary of the name, the then-BJP government had deliberately abandoned the golden jubilee. But even though we came to power a year late, we decided to start the golden jubilee of Karnataka and celebrate it for the entire year. This is our commitment to the Kannada language and culture”, the CM said.

ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @siddaramaiah ಅವರು ಇಂದು ವಿಧಾನಸೌಧದ ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನೂತನವಾಗಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಿರುವ ನಾಡದೇವಿ ಭುವನೇಶ್ವರಿ ತಾಯಿಯ ಕಂಚಿನ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯನ್ನು ಲೋಕಾರ್ಪಣೆಗೊಳಿಸಿ, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕಂಪು ಜಗದಗಲ ಪಸರಿಸಲೆಂದು ಶುಭ ಕೋರಿದರು. pic.twitter.com/rgNhw5EQKt

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) January 27, 2025

“Everyone in the state should develop a sense of pride in the Kannada language, culture and art. The name Karnataka has become — let Kannada be our breath — should become the pride of all of us. Only then will Kannada become a sovereign language”, he added.

He further asked the people of the state to use, cultivate, and promote Kannada. “We should love all languages. We should use, cultivate, and promote Kannada. We should follow the culture of speaking and interacting in Kannada with our brothers and other speakers”, the Chief Minister added.

“We should speak our own language rather than speaking incorrectly in another language. In all neighbouring states, the language spoken by the people of that state is sovereign. We should practice the same in our country,” he added. “The wish of the Kannada unification movement was that people speaking one language should come under one administration. This wish should be implemented more effectively”, he added.

The Karnataka CM was speaking at the unveiling ceremony of the bronze statue of Mother Bhuvaneshwari Devi organised on the premises of Vidhana Soudha. Following CM Siddaramaiah’s statement, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said, “There is a procedure. There is a committee in the cabinet subcommittee that will investigate. If it has to be withdrawn, it will go to the cabinet”. (ANI)