The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has come under fire from Bengaluru residents and Kannada activists for allegedly sidelining the Kannada language at its national-level Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) meeting. The criticism arose after event signage displayed only Hindi, despite the meeting being held in Bengaluru.
The three-day event, taking place at Janseva Vidya Kendra in Channenahalli, was inaugurated by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday. The gathering serves as the Sangh's highest decision-making forum, where annual reports and future plans are discussed. The absence of Kannada signage on event posters has sparked widespread backlash, with many accusing the RSS of promoting Hindi at the expense of regional languages.
Social media was flooded with criticism, with users calling out the event organisers for disregarding Kannada, despite the state's strong linguistic and cultural identity. Many social media handles have accused the Sangh of promoting Hindi at the expense of local languages.
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Retweeting an ‘All India Radio News’ post, informing about the RSS event in Bengaluru, an X account ‘PLE Karnataka’, wrote that ‘RSS has openly declared a war against Kannada and Kannadiga identity’. “RSS disregards Kannada and places only Hindi in the background display on stage. This clearly proves they love Hindi more than Kannada,” Hindustan Times quoted a social media user saying.
The Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) is a key annual event where the RSS discusses organisational strategies and national issues. According to RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambedkar, this year’s meeting includes deliberations on the 2024-25 annual report and preparations for the RSS centenary celebrations in 2025-26.
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Addressing the language controversy, RSS Joint General Secretary C R Mukunda defended Sangh’s stance, stating that the RSS prefers the mother tongue as the primary medium of education and day-to-day communication.