Kannada organisations have been decrying the Centre's attempt to 'impose' Hindi in Karnataka. Deccan Herald photo.
Bengaluru: On the Hindi Day celebration in Karanataka, Janata Dal-Secular's chief in the state CM Ibrahim compared Hindi speakers to 'gol gappa' sellers, inciting a row, IANS reported.
"We don't need to learn Hindi and go to north India to sell gol gappas. All these people from Gujarat and Hindi states come here to sell pani puri," Ibrahim said.
Speaking to the media, Ibrahim criticised Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for BJP-led Central government imposing the Hindi language in the state.
"Bommai is promoting Hindi with our money. We will not allow the imposition of Delhi language in our state," he said.
The Hindi Day celebrations in the state have raised heat among political circles. JD-S leader and former Chief Minister Kumaraswamy had written CM Bommai to cancel the Hindi Day celebrations there.
IANS writes, "There have been no reactions as yet to Ibrahim's comments, observers feel that the Hindi language issue may not rouse passions to the extent it does in neighbouring Tamil Nadu."