CM Siddaramaiah slams BJP for ‘false narrative’ on Urdu, Kannada funding
Bengaluru, May 27 (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the BJP of spreading a "false narrative" that his government is neglecting Kannada and allocating more funds for Urdu, calling it not only untrue but a "deliberate attempt" to create communal tension.
His remarks came after the BJP Karnataka posted on 'X' that the Siddaramaiah-led government had allocated Rs 100 crore for the promotion of Urdu in 2025–26, while sanctioning just Rs 32 crore for Kannada.
"The BJP in Karnataka is spreading a false narrative that our government is neglecting Kannada and favouring Urdu. This is not just far from the truth—it is a deliberate attempt to create communal tension. It is unfortunate that a national party is behaving like irresponsible internet trolls, spreading such baseless lies," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
Listing details of the 2025-26 allocations, the Chief Minister said Rs 34,438 crore had been allocated to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education, and Rs 4,150 crore to schools under the Social Welfare and other departments.
“That’s a total of Rs 38,688 crore—all meant for Kannada-medium education. In addition, Rs 999.30 crore has been set aside to maintain government schools and improve infrastructure. All of this supports Kannada education. So, when the BJP claims only Rs 32 crore was allotted for Kannada, it is a political lie meant to mislead the people," he added.
Siddaramaiah clarified that the Rs 100 crore allotted under the Minority Welfare Department is intended for upgrading Urdu-medium schools with better classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and infrastructure.
“This allocation is not just for promoting the language, but for the overall improvement of schools that serve a large number of students,” he said, adding that linking a language to a particular caste or religion is disrespectful.
“Our government respects all languages spoken in Karnataka. That’s why we have separate academies for Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Byari, and Arebhashe — each receiving ₹80 lakh annually, along with additional funding for cultural activities,” he said.
For Kannada, Siddaramaiah pointed out, the state has a dedicated Department of Kannada and Culture, which oversees 14 academies, three authorities, and 24 trusts named after Kannada writers—all working to promote the Kannada language, literature, and heritage.
"For us, Kannada is not just a language—it is our identity, our pride, and our mother tongue. Our government has always stood firmly for Kannada, for Karnataka, and for our people. We will never compromise on protecting our land, water, or language. And we will never tolerate disrespect towards our culture," he said.
Siddaramaiah demanded that the BJP immediately issue a public clarification and apologise to the people of the state for its "divisive propaganda" and "attempt to mislead".
Claiming that only Rs 32 crore was given for Kannada is not just a lie—it is a betrayal of Karnataka. We demand that the BJP issue a public clarification and apologise to the people of the state for this dangerous and divisive propaganda, Siddaramaiah added.
.@BJP4Karnataka is spreading a malicious lie that our Govt gave more funds to Urdu while neglecting Kannada.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 27, 2025
This is not just false -- it's a deliberate attempt to incite communal hatred.
A national party behaving like internet trolls is deeply shameful. pic.twitter.com/eYSA3lGLbl
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Four more arrested in brigadier assault case in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): Four more accused have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault on an Army brigadier, his son and threatening his wife in southwest Delhi's Vasant Enclave area, police said on Friday.
The accused have been identified as Surjit Singh (36), Sunil Sharma (53) and Ashish (32), all from Mehram Nagar in Delhi, and Satender (35) of Bhiwani in Haryana, police said.
According to police, Surjit Singh was known to the main accused Satender, a director of an aviation company. All of them were sitting together in Mehram Nagar when Satender called them regarding a quarrel in Vasant Enclave.
"Following the call, all four left for the spot in Surjit's white Hyundai Aura. After reaching there, they got involved in the altercation and assault before returning to their respective homes," a senior police officer said.
After learning about the registration of the case, the accused fled and went into hiding, he said.
"Teams were constituted to trace them and all four absconding accused were arrested," he said.
The Hyundai Aura used in the incident has also been recovered, police said.
Further investigation into the case is underway. The role of each accused is being examined, they said.
According to the investigators, the incident took place on the night of April 11, when the brigadier and his son objected to the two men allegedly consuming alcohol inside a car parked outside their residence. Soon, others reached the spot and allegedly assaulted the officer and his son, besides abusing and threatening his wife.
