‘Prioritise advancement of Kannada and its culture’: BJP MP Tejaswi Surya writes to CM Siddaramaiah

After the Karnataka government mandated Urdu for Anganwadi teacher posts, Tejaswi Surya wrote a letter to CM Siddaramaiah and asked to withdraw the order.

Published on: Sep 24, 2024, 21:00:00 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 24 (ANI): After the Karnataka government mandated Urdu for Anganwadi teacher posts, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejaswi Surya wrote a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and asked to immediately withdraw the order and prioritise the advancement of Kannada and its culture.

Tejaswi Surya posted a copy of the letter on X on Tuesday saying, "Congress is trapping Kannadigas with Tippu and Hyder Ali-like farmans on making Urdu compulsory in Anganwadis in Karnataka. Wrote to CM Siddaramaiah to immediately withdraw the order and prioritise the advancement of Kannada and its culture."

In the letter, Surya condemned the Karnataka government's move that mandated Urdu as a must-known language for candidates applying for the Anganwadi teachers post in Mudigere and Chikkamagaluru districts.

"It is condemnable that the child and women's welfare ministry has ordered Urdu eligibility for the anganawadi jobs. Its happening because of Congress's appeasement politics. Congress in Karnataka forgot that Kannada is supreme in Karnataka. It will be a big blow to the existence of Kannada in Karnataka. That's why I request you to suspend concerned officers who ordered such blunders and take strict action against those who conspire against Kannada," Surya said.

Earlier on Monday, former BJP MP Nalinkumar Kateel condemned the move and said that the announcement that one must know Urdu to get an Anganwadi teacher job is "unacceptable."

"This is yet another attempt by the Congress to appease the Muslim community and restrict job opportunities. It's a dangerous political strategy," Kateel posted on X.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP, in a post on X, said that Congress is sidelining "Kannadigas pride and culture."

"Kannada, a language with rich history and heritage, doesn't need Urdu to survive! Why impose Urdu in our people, Siddaramaiah? This is Karnataka/Bharath, not Pakistan! @INCIndia's appeasement policies are sidelining Kannadigas pride and culture. We won't let Kannada be disrespected. We'll fight this injustice!" BJP Karnataka posted on X.

The controversy stems from an official order from the Department of Women and Child Welfare, which requires applicants in Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru district, to be proficient in Urdu.

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

Get the latest City News, local updates, weather alerts and breaking stories from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other major cities across India on Hindustan Times.