📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Election commission of India
Politics
Urdu Cultural Event at Karnataka Assembly Triggers BJP and Kannada Group Protests
✍️ India Today
🗓 02 Oct 2026, 02:37 AM
👁 11
A Urdu cultural programme organised in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly provoked protests from the BJP and regional Kannada organisations, who objected to the event's location and perceived political motives.
Earlier this week, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly hosted a Urdu cultural programme that featured poetry recitals, music and a display of the language's literary heritage. The event was arranged as part of a broader effort to celebrate linguistic diversity within the state.
The gathering quickly attracted dissent from members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and several Kannada language advocacy groups. Protesters assembled outside the assembly building, brandishing placards and demanding that the programme be halted, arguing that the venue should prioritize Kannada cultural activities and that the event carried political overtones.
Assembly officials responded by stating that the programme was purely cultural and had been approved in accordance with the assembly's guidelines for promoting multilingualism. They emphasized that no political agenda was attached to the event and that the invitation had been extended to all interested parties.
The controversy underscores the sensitive nature of language politics in Karnataka, where debates over the status of Kannada versus other regional languages have periodically resurfaced. Authorities have indicated that a review of the protocol for future cultural events will be undertaken to avoid similar flashpoints.
The gathering quickly attracted dissent from members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and several Kannada language advocacy groups. Protesters assembled outside the assembly building, brandishing placards and demanding that the programme be halted, arguing that the venue should prioritize Kannada cultural activities and that the event carried political overtones.
Assembly officials responded by stating that the programme was purely cultural and had been approved in accordance with the assembly's guidelines for promoting multilingualism. They emphasized that no political agenda was attached to the event and that the invitation had been extended to all interested parties.
The controversy underscores the sensitive nature of language politics in Karnataka, where debates over the status of Kannada versus other regional languages have periodically resurfaced. Authorities have indicated that a review of the protocol for future cultural events will be undertaken to avoid similar flashpoints.