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Bengaluru: Starbucks, House of Masaba stores targeted by pro-Kannada protesters
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada body, on Wednesday held a massive protest in Bengaluru.
More than 20 shops were vandalised in Bengaluru as pro-Kannada groups protested in the city on Wednesday. They were demanding that local businesses follow the government's rule mandating 60 percent of signboards be written in the vernacular language.
The pro-Kannada protesters vandalised several shops like House of Masaba, Starbucks, Third Wave Coffee, Forest Essentials and Theobroma, reported Money Control.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada body, on Wednesday held a massive protest in Bengaluru demanding that all businesses in Karnataka should have signboards and nameplates written in the native language. Its state president TA Narayan Gowda said those doing business in Bengaluru must adopt the local language.
The protesters broke several sign boards and signage written in English.
"People from various states are doing business in Bangalore. But they don't put Kannada nameplates on their shops. They are only putting up the nameplates of their shops in English. If they want to stay back in Bangalore then they have to put nameplates on their shops in Kannada or else they have to move from Karnataka to other states," Gowda said.
"No one is following it properly, so today we are doing a massive awareness protest rally. If the police stop us today, our struggle will not stop. We will continue the rally every day till our demands are met," he added.
Meanwhile, due to the protests, two Karnataka malls had to be shut down.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has said all commercial stores will have to change 60 percent of their signage from English to Kannada by February 28. Those who violate this norm will face action.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah had supported the rule.
