Rahul Gandhi warns BJP-RSS of facing full force if Kannada language attacked
Chitradurga, Oct 13: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the BJP and RSS would face the full force of his party if they attacked the people of Karnataka and their language.
His warning comes days after JDS leader Kumaraswamy alleged that the central Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam was being held only in Hindi and English and not in any regional language.
Addressing a public meeting in Molakalmuru town in Chitradurga district as part of ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' Gandhi said unemployed youth asked him why they cannot give their tests in Kannada.
He opined that people should be allowed to write their tests in Kannada, for a language is not just what you use to converse with each other.
A language is history, culture, it is imagination and nobody should be allowed to stop people from speaking in their language.
"These are some ideas the BJP and the RSS are promoting. For them Kannada is a secondary language. It is not to be respected. For us, Kannada is of primary importance.
If the BJP and the RSS think that they can attack the Kannada language, they can attack the people of Karnataka, they can attack the history of Karnataka, they are going to face the full force of the Congress party," the former Congress President said.
Nobody can dictate to the people of Karnataka how they should live their life, and nobody is going to tell the people of the state what language their children can write exams in, he told the gathering.
"If the people of Karnataka want to speak Kannada, if the people of Tamil Nadu want to speak Tamil and if the people of Kerala want to speak Malayalam then they should be allowed to do that."
Gandhi sought an explanation from the NDA government at the Centre as to why unemployment was highest in the last 45 years, in the country.
Claiming that the groundnut crops were ruined and tonnes of tomatoes were rotting on the road, he sought to know from the ruling BJP what it has done in Karnataka to help the farmers.
Gandhi also accused the BJP and the RSS of 'spreading hatred' in the country.
"We will not allow the BJP and the RSS to divide India and spread hatred in this country. Dividing this country is an act against the interest of this nation. It weakens this country, it does not strengthen this country," he said.
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Steel mirrors deployed in Mysuru to discourage public urination
Mysuru (PTI): Fed up with people relieving themselves along roadsides, the Mysuru City Corporation has adopted a unique strategy to curb the practice and promote civic sense by installing reflective steel mirrors along pavements, officials said on Friday.
In what officials described as a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Corporation installed stainless steel sheets with a mirror finish along an 80-metre stretch opposite the Mysuru Suburban Bus Stand.
Officials said the reflective sheets are intended to confront anyone attempting to urinate in public with their own reflection, thereby discouraging the act psychologically.
“The idea is to maintain cleanliness and hygiene, prevent public nuisance, and promote civic sense. It is a simple yet psychological approach that encourages self-awareness through reflection,” officials added.
Soon after the mirrors were installed, videos of the initiative went viral on social media, with many people appreciating the administration’s innovative attempt to address public urination. At the same time, some users pointed out the lack of basic civic sense among people.
Several social media users also suggested that more public toilets, maintained in a hygienic condition, were needed to further discourage open urination.
Explaining how the idea originated, Nitesh Patil, Administrator and Regional Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation, told PTI that despite a public toilet being located next to the bus stand, many people continued to urinate in the open.
Even fines and warnings failed to deter them from relieving themselves against vacant compound walls, leaving behind a foul smell.
“One of our engineers came up with this idea, and we decided to implement it. The initiative has received a very positive response from the public, social media, and the press. We are now planning to identify more such locations in the city and install similar reflectors,” he said.
According to him, to ensure that the installation is both effective and visually appealing, LED lighting that switches on along with the streetlights has also been added, causing the stretch to glow at night and enhancing the city’s appearance.
Patil said the initiative had helped create civic awareness while also beautifying the city.
“We want our city to be clean and hygienic. We aspire to become the cleanest city in the country,” he added, recalling that Mysuru secured third place nationally in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25 last year.
