From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 31: Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar has urged Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to reconsider his decision of returning the Ordinance on making 60% of Kannada in the name-boards of all establishments as Kannada is the State’s official language and the government was bound to give primacy to Kannada.

Speaking to media persons near Vidhana Soudha on Wednesdahy, he said Kannada is Karnataka’s official language and giving primacy to Kannada is an emotional issue. The governor should respect the sentiments of the people, especially when there is no objection from any quarters to the move to making 60% of Kannada in the name-boards.

Urging the Governor to reconsider his decision on returning the ordinance, Shivakumar said the Raj Bhavan should not insist on sensitive issue of language and need not wait for the Legislature to pass the bill on the ordinance.

He explained that the government brought in the ordinance in view of the protests over the use of Kannada and also because the primacy to Kannada is an emotional issue and a question of the State’s identity.

The deputy chief minister asserted that there was no going back on the decision on making use of 60% Kannada in the signages of all commercial establishments.

He said the budget session of the State legislature will be held in the next 10 to 15 days and a bill for replacing the same ordinance will be tabled and passed.

Shivakumar clarified that Magadi Congress MLA H C Balakrishna has never said the Congress government’s guarantees will be stopped if the ruling party failed to win maximum number of Lok Sabha seats from Karnataka. What the MLA said was referring to BJP leaders making such statements and BJP leaders are now twisting the statement, he said.

Answering questions on State BJP President B Y Vijayendra that stopping the implementation of guarantees is an insult to the people, he said: “I don’t have to answer to BJP leaders. Is he a beneficiary?”