Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday said the state government would take action against private firms found to be deliberately sidelining Kannadigas, following ‘complaints’ that native Kannada speakers were being denied job opportunities in Bengaluru’s IT companies.
Following the backlash, the then-chief minister Siddaramaiah announced that the government had temporarily put the bill on hold and that it would be reviewed at the next cabinet meeting before a decision was taken on the future course of action. In June, Shivakumar had said the state government was committed to giving fresh momentum to Karnataka’s development and had announced measures that included filling 56,000 vacant posts and giving preference to Kannadigas in private-sector employment. The issue drew attention in July 2024, when the Karnataka cabinet approved a bill seeking to reserve jobs in the private sector for Kannadigas.
The government subsequently clarified that the bill approved by the cabinet had been temporarily put on hold.
In a post on X, Shivakumar said the government had taken the complaints seriously and would not allow the rights, dignity and employment opportunities of Kannadigas to be disregarded. “It is disheartening to hear complaints that Kannadigas are being denied job opportunities in Bengaluru’s IT companies,” he said, adding that the government would take appropriate action if any private institution was found to have deliberately sidelined them. “In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign,” Shivakumar said, asserting that the government was committed to addressing the concerns of Kannadigas. Siddaramaiah had earlier said on X that the proposed legislation would reserve “100%” of jobs for Kannadigas, a statement that drew criticism from business leaders.
