The Karnataka government said on Thursday that it had ordered the arrest of pro-Kannada activists who allegedly painted over Hindi signboards at Metro stations, according to media reports. Police patrols have been stepped up to prevent further acts of vandalism.
ANI reported that members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), which opposes the use of Hindi on signage, painted over the signboards at the Namma Metro stations in Bangalore early on Thursday morning. English signs in Bangalore have previously been painted over by pro-Kannada activists.
It was reported that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered support to the anti-Hindi group and had asked officials to look into signage policy in non-Hindi states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal.