BENGALURU/ DAVANGERE: A fresh political debate has erupted in Karnataka over language politics, after voices linked to the BJP and RSS criticised Congress leaders for speaking in Hindi during a recent outreach in Davangere.
The controversy began after Congress MP Prabha Mallikarjun addressed members of the Muslim community and reportedly used Hindi in parts of her speech, seeking support for her son Shamanur Samarth Mallikarjun. This drew sharp reactions on social media, particularly from individuals aligned with the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Social media user Sheetal Chopra, who described herself as an RSS swayamsevika, criticised the Congress for what she termed as “double standards” on language. In a strongly worded post, she alleged that while the party opposes Hindi in Karnataka politics, it resorts to the language when addressing specific communities.
Political analyst BS Murthy said the issue should be viewed in a broader national context. He noted that several MPs from southern states, including Tejasvi Surya, have demonstrated proficiency in Hindi while participating in parliamentary debates.
“However, the question remains as to how many MPs from North India make an effort to speak in southern languages such as Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam or Telugu,” Murthy remarked. He explained that during elections, people may approach voters in different languages, but that cannot be a reflection of the state’s policy on languages.