Warden of private engineering college arrested for derogatory remarks against Kannada

The Bannerghatta police on Monday arrested a 54-year-old hostel warden of a private engineering college for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Kannada language and objecting to students speaking it on the hostel premises.

The accused has been identified as Suresh P.V., who was working as a warden at the AMC Engineering College boys’ hostel on Bannerghatta Road.

Based on a complaint lodged by protester Mahesh Hatti, the police registered a case against Suresh under Section 196 (promoting enmity, hatred or disharmony between linguistic groups prejudicial to public tranquillity), and Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The accused was arrested and later remanded in judicial custody. The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media, allegedly showing the warden instructing students not to speak Kannada on campus. In the video, Suresh was heard telling students in Hindi: “If you want to speak in Kannada, do it at home.”

When the students objected, he reportedly claimed that speaking Kannada on campus required prior permission from the college administration, triggering outrage among students and Kannada activists.

Following the viral video, students and pro-Kannada organisations staged protests, demanding strict action against the warden. The activists condemned the remarks as ‘anti-Kannada’ and an insult to the State’s language and culture.

Tension prevailed at the college for some time as a group of activists, led by Rupesh Rajanna, State president of Yuva Karnataka Vedike, staged a protest in front of the college demanding immediate action. The protesters warned that the agitation would continue until action was taken against the accused.

In response to the backlash, the college management dismissed Suresh with immediate effect. He had been working at the hostel for the past three years, officials said.