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‘Don’t play Hindi victim card’: Bengaluru migrant’s BMTC fight over bus stop sparks backlash
A video of a migrant commuter accusing Bengaluru bus staff of assault has sparked backlash, with many defending the bus staff and criticizing the complainant.'
A video shared by a migrant Bengaluru commuter has triggered a storm on social media after he accused a BMTC bus driver and conductor of verbally and physically assaulting him, allegedly citing his inability to speak Kannada.
The commuter, Aditya Raj Agarwal, posted the video on X, tagging the Bengaluru police and BMTC. He claimed the altercation began when Google Maps showed a stop where the driver allegedly refused to halt. Agarwal said the conductor became abusive after he questioned the driver.
“The driver starts verbally (and then physically) assaults customers and even states not knowing Kannada as a reason,” Agarwal wrote while posting the clip.
Watch the video here:
But the video has sparked a strong backlash, with many Kannadigas and Bengalureans defending the bus staff and accusing Agarwal of playing the “Hindi victim card.”
One user wrote, “It’s a Vayu Vajra bus, it will not stop at 100 stops. Don’t play your Hindi victim card despite the driver repeating that he isn’t comfortable in your language.”
Another post argued, “You can clearly see both the driver and conductor are not comfortable speaking in Hindi and are trying to explain their best as to why there is no stop. But this man is continuously harassing them, asking them to come to the police station. Why should they? Are they criminals? They are people with families just like all of us.”
Some commuters vouched for the BMTC staff, with one writing, “Vajra buses and people are the best I have ever met in Bangalore. If you get into a fight with them, then something is wrong.”
Others slammed what they described as a pattern of turning minor disputes into language controversies. “Expecting a non-Hindi speaker to respond in Hindi and then calling it harassment is the root of the problem. BMTC staff should stick to Kannada only,” one comment said.
A few went further, linking the issue to migration pressure. “Why are migrants repeatedly turning every dispute into a language issue? Karnataka is already under pressure. Like Northeastern states have Inner Line Permits, Karnataka too needs protection,” another user argued.
Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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