Mysuru: Asserting that he has been putting his signature in Kannada ever since he was appointed as the President of first Kannada Kavalu Samiti four decades ago, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in a lighter vein, said that an individual has petitioned the Governor to order a probe into his (Siddu) putting his signature in English in all correspondence with the Centre.

Siddaramaiah made this comment when he was speaking about Kannada pride at the ‘Karnataka Samskrutika Munnota: Chintana Samavesha’ organised by the Kannada and Culture Department in association with National Saint Poet Kanakadasa Study and Research Centre, Bengaluru, marking Suvarna Sambhrama Karnataka-50, at Kaveri auditorium in KSOU campus here on Friday.

Reiterating that he has been putting his signature in Kannada ever since Ramakrishna Hegde appointed him as the first President of Kannada Kavalu Samiti, Siddaramaiah said that he has been using Kannada extensively which has resulted in loss of his English understanding. 

Maintaining that he used English signature only during correspondence with the Centre and other States, he said that one individual has gone to the extent of complaining to the Governor on his English signature. 

Stating that this was nothing but height of stupidity, he said that the Governor, acting on this complaint, has issued a notice to him and the State Chief Secretary questioning why a probe must not be ordered into the matter.

Adding that he said this as a matter of joke, he asserted that he has been giving prime importance to Kannada. However, he uses both English and Kannada in putting his signature, he added.