Karnataka Governor clarifies he 'returned, not rejected' Kannada signboard ordinance

Governor clarifies that he has not rejected the ordinance but wants it to be presented in the State Legislature.

Published on: Feb 1, 2024, 13:31:44 IST

By Yamini C S

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Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Wednesday issued a clarification that he has only “returned” the ordinance on imposing 60 per cent Kannada language on all sign boards back to the state government, and not “rejected” it.

File photo of Thaawar Chand Gehlot (PTI)

This comes in the backdrop of several media reports suggesting that he had rejected the ordinance, which prompted the state's Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief, DK Shivakumar, to appeal to him to reconsider it.

"It is reported in the newspapers and TV channels that the Governor has rejected the 'Karnataka Bhasha Samagra Abhivruddhi (Tiddupadi) Adhyadesha, 2024' (60 per cent use of Kannada in signage boards) ordinance," An official statement from the Karnataka Raj Bhavan said on Wednesday, as accessed by news agency ANI.

ALSO READ | Karnataka Governor sends ordinance on 60% use of Kannada in signboards back to govt

"Governor has not rejected the said Ordinance rather the Ordinance has been returned to the State Government with the advice to present the said Bill before both the Houses of State Legislature for approval, since the notification for summoning both the Houses has already been issued which is scheduled to commence from February 12, 2024," It added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded to this and spoke to reporters, saying, “What the Governor has said is to pass it in the assembly session, he hasn't rejected the ordinance. We'll pass it in the assembly session.”

ALSO READ | Karnataka DCM DK Shivakumar urges Governor to reconsider Kannada boards ordinance

The raging language row in Karnataka erupted after the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada group, held violent protests and vandalised properties in markets and business areas, especially attacking and damaging sign boards with majority writing in languages other than Kannada.

Following this, the Karnataka Cabinet in early January okayed an ordinance that enforces 60 per cent Kannada language usage on sign boards of shops, enterprises, institutions and other places.

(With inputs from ANI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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