Bill to jeopardise Bengaluru’s cultural and linguistic identity, diminish Kannada’s prominence: BJP

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, 2024, yesterday despite strong opposition from BJP and JD(S) legislators, who staged a walkout, claiming that splitting BBMP into seven smaller civic corporations would lead to the destruction of Bengaluru’s identity as India’s IT capital.

Participating in the debate, BJP legislators clarified that while they support efforts to strengthen the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), they strongly oppose its division.

They argued that breaking up the civic body would dilute Bengaluru’s essence as a single city and instead proposed appointing zonal commissioners for better governance.

Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka called the Bill unconstitutional, asserting that it violates the 74th Amendment, which grants power to local elected bodies. He warned that concentrating authority in the hands of the Chief Minister, who would head the proposed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), would weaken democracy.

Ashoka cautioned that the Bill could jeopardise Bengaluru’s cultural and linguistic identity. He warned that the Bill could diminish Kannada’s prominence in the city. “In 2006, we expanded BBMP to prevent Bengaluru from turning into a Union Territory and to protect Kannada identity. This move threatens that balance,” he said. “Under this new system, what will happen to Kannada in Bengaluru East? We may not even have Kannada-speaking Mayors anymore.”

Defending the move, D.K. Shivakumar asserted that the Bill is aimed at decentralising power rather than dividing the city. “We are not breaking Bengaluru apart; we are making it stronger,” he said.

He stressed that Bengaluru has expanded far beyond the boundaries laid by Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.