- Zomato supervisor demanded employees speak Hindi or resign.
- Viral video sparked protests by local Kannada groups.
- Supervisor Ashok apologized in Kannada after police custody.
Bengaluru Language Row: A massive controversy sparked in Bengaluru after a Zomato warehouse supervisor allegedly asked the employees to speak Hindi or leave the job. The local Kannada groups staged a protest and demanded strict action against him after the video went viral. The accused belongs to Andhra Pradesh and allegedly insulted the local language by asking the employees to only communicate in Hindi, further asking them to leave the job in case of refusal.
'Speak Hindi If You Want To Work'
In the viral video, Ashok, the supervisor, is seen scolding the employees and directing them to speak Hindi "if they wanted to work" in the warehouse. While acknowledging that he does not know Kannada, Ashok stated that the resignation of employees over this issue will not bother him. "I don't know Kannada. I'll speak in Hindi. If you're going to work here, learn Hindi. If you want to leave, I don't care," Ashok said.
One of the employees is seen reminding him that the office is situated in Karnataka; however, Ashok asserted that he will still only communicate in Hindi. "So what, I will only speak Hindi," he said. The accused further asked the employees either to learn Hindi or leave the job. His remarks sparked a massive controversy in the region after the video went viral within hours.
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'Accused Issues Apology Video'
The local Kannada groups gathered outside the office building and sought strong action against him, allegedly for insulting the local language. The groups also submitted a petition to the Madanayakanahalli police, seeking his detention. As per the reports, the state police also took Ashok into custody briefly to control the situation.
However, the situation de-escalated after the accused posted an apology video with folded hands, that too in Kannada. In his apology video, Ashok stated that he had no intentions of hurting the sentiments of the locals, further apologising if his remarks disturbed the peace.
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