Governor returns ordinance on 60% Kannada on signboards

Karnataka's governor, Thaawarchand Gehlot, on Wednesday sent back to the state cabinet an ordinance that proposed augmenting the use of Kannada language in commercial signboards at a time when pro-Kannada protests over the issue are escalating in the state.

- Arun Dev

The ordinance, approved during a cabinet meeting on January 5, sought to amend the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act, 2022, and put in place a provision that mandates 60% space on signboards must be taken by Kannada language, and remaining 40% by any other language including English. While sending back the ordinance, the governor advised the state to pursue its passage through the assembly, sparking a sharp response from the government, which called his intervention unnecessary. "The government crafted a law to amplify the presence of Kannada on signboards. However, the governor's directive mandates its passage through the Assembly. He could have simply endorsed it," deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar said.

Soon after Shivakumar's statement, the governor's office released a clarification saying that the ordinance was not outrightly "rejected".