DK Shivakumar's warning to Bengaluru IT firms after 'no jobs for Kannada speakers' video goes viral

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday warned private companies that the state government would act against them if they were found to have deliberately kept Kannadigas out of jobs, declaring that "in Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign". The remarks came a day after a video of a young woman alleging language-based discrimination in hiring by Bengaluru's IT companies went viral on social media.

Shivakumar said in a post on X, "If it is found that any private institution has deliberately sidelined Kannadigas, the government will take appropriate action." He added, "In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign. The government will not allow the rights, dignity, and opportunities of Kannadigas to be disregarded for any reason."

Referring to the city's global standing in the IT sector, Shivakumar said, "The world sees Bengaluru as India's technology capital, and we take immense pride in the talent, skills, and capabilities of our Kannadigas." He said the government, as "the voice of Kannadiga interests", remained committed to responding to their concerns.

In the video, the woman alleged that candidates who listed Kannada as their mother tongue were eliminated at the interview stage, or even at the shortlisting stage. She claimed companies were instead giving preference to Telugu and Tamil speakers, recruiting young people from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana at lower salaries.

Her claims were not independently verified, but the video fuelled long-held grievances.

She also alleged, "Campus interviews are not being conducted in Bengaluru colleges," and urged the chief minister, "Please provide a solution to this problem." A prominent Kannada activist, Rupesh Rajanna, who shared the video on X, alleged that such practices had been going on for a long time and that, although the matter had been brought to the government's attention, it had not taken adequate action.

In 2024, the then Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka cabinet cleared a draft bill mandating quotas for locals in private-sector jobs, which was put on hold after pushback from industry bodies.

BJP spokesperson Ashok Gowda said Shivakumar should take action and answer what kind of jobs are being created by the Congress government. "We are not asking for government jobs per se, but in the private sector, to create new jobs wherein Kannadigas will be encouraged, what kind of actions have been taken?" he asked.

On existing jobs, he said, "Of course, there can be rules which can be formulated, but to increase jobs, what kind of a role is being played by the government?" He asked Shivakumar to be more specific.