'BJP's deliberate attempt to incite communal tension': Siddaramaiah defends grant for Urdu language

Bengaluru, May 27 (IANS) The Karnataka government on Tuesday defended its decision to allocate Rs 100 crore for the development of the Urdu language compared to Rs 32 crore for Kannada, and criticised the BJP for inciting communal tensions in the state.

“Rs 100 crore is for upgrading Urdu-medium schools with better classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and infrastructure. This is not just for language, but for the overall improvement of schools that serve a large number of students,” said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Earlier, the BJP criticised the Karnataka government for the grant of Rs 100 crore for the development of Urdu. Posters released by the Karnataka BJP against the government have also gone viral.

“This is a deliberate attempt to incite communal tension,” the Chief Minister slammed the BJP

He emphasised that linking a language to a particular caste or religion is disrespectful to that language, adding that the Karnataka government respects all languages of the state.

“That is why we have separate academies for Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Byari, and Arebhashe, each with Rs 80 lakh grants every year, plus extra funding for cultural activities,” said Siddaramaiah.

He further criticised the BJP, saying that they are spreading a false narrative that the state government is neglecting Kannada and giving more funds to 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 acting like irresponsible internet trolls and spreading such baseless lies,” he said.

The Chief Minister highlighted that for 2025–26, the state government has allocated: Rs 34,438 crore to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education; 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 money supports Kannada education. So when the BJP claims that only Rs 32 crore is given to Kannada, it is clearly a political lie meant to mislead the people,” said the Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah maintained that for Kannada, the government has a dedicated Department of Kannada and Culture, which runs 14 academies, three authorities, and 24 trusts named after Kannada writers.

“These are working to promote the Kannada language, literature, and heritage. For the Congress, Kannada is not just a language, it is our identity, pride, and 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,” said Siddaramaiah.

The Chief Minister said that the BJP’s attempt to mislead people by saying only Rs 32 crore was given for Kannada is not just a lie but a betrayal of Karnataka.

“We demand that the BJP immediately issue a public clarification and apologise to the people of the state for this dangerous and divisive propaganda,” said Siddaramaiah.

Earlier, the Karnataka government’s decision to make Urdu a mandatory language for Anganwadi teacher applicants in Mudigere and Chikkamagaluru district ignited strong backlash in September 2024, especially from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused the government of prioritising minority interests over the state’s linguistic heritage.

--IANS

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