Kerala MLA AKM Ashraf praises Siddu, DKS in Kannada
BENGALURU: A clip of Indian Union Muslim League MLA AKM Ashraf’s speech in the Kerala assembly, praising the people of Karnataka, particularly Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, has gone viral. He spoke in Kannada, winning hearts this side of the border.
“I congratulate CM Siddaramaiah and DyCM DK Shivakumar,’’ Ashraf said. The fairly large population of Kannada speakers residing in Kerala, especially in the northern areas, loved it and Ashraf’s video has been widely circulated among social media groups. ISRO in Thiruvananthapuram has hundreds of Kannada speakers, and there are many Central government officers from Karnataka, besides migrant labourers.
Ashraf told TNIE, “I am a Kannadiga and love the works of Govinda Pai and Kuvempu, I must be the only politician to speak Kannada in the Kerala assembly.’’
Shantinagar MLA N A Haris, who hails from the area around Mangaluru, said, “I know Ashraf personally. If our country has to progress, we need to take everyone along. Secular voices must be encouraged. Speaking in Kannada in the Kerala assembly warms our hearts. We are all Indians and can speak many languages. Ashraf speaks excellent Kannada. Before the reorganisation of states, this area was part of erstwhile South Canara and has many fluent Kannada speakers.”