Bangalore, 27 May (H.S.) : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has alleged that the BJP is unleashing a false narrative on several issues.

Here is the full text of his statement released to the media on Tuesday:

The BJP in Karnataka is spreading a false narrative that our government is neglecting Kannada and giving more funds to Urdu. This is not just far from the truth — it is a deliberate attempt to create communal tension. It is unfortunate that a national party is acting like irresponsible internet trolls and spreading such baseless lies.

For 2025–26, the State Government has allocated:

₹34,438 crore to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education

₹4,150 crore to schools under the Social Welfare and other departments

That’s a total of ₹38,688 crore — all meant for Kannada-medium education.

In addition, ₹999.30 crore has been set aside to maintain government schools and improve infrastructure. All of this money supports Kannada education. So when BJP claims that only ₹32 crore is given to Kannada, it is clearly a political lie meant to mislead the people.

As for the ₹100 crore given under the Minority Welfare Department — this is for upgrading Urdu-medium schools with better classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and infrastructure. This is not just for language, but for the overall improvement of schools that serve a large number of students.

Linking a language to a particular caste or religion is disrespectful to that language. Our government respects all languages spoken in Karnataka. That is why we have separate academies for Tulu, Konkani, Kodava, Byari, and Arebhashe — each with ₹80 lakh grants every year, plus extra funding for cultural activities.

For Kannada, we have a dedicated Department of Kannada and Culture, which runs:

14 Academies

3 Authorities

24 Trusts named after Kannada writers

All working to promote Kannada language, literature, and heritage.

For us, Kannada is not just a language — it is our identity, pride, and mother tongue. Our government has always stood firmly for Kannada, for Karnataka, and for our people. We will never compromise on protecting our land, water, or language. And we will never tolerate disrespect towards our culture.

That’s why BJP’s attempt to mislead people by saying only ₹32 crore was given for Kannada is not just a lie — it is a betrayal of Karnataka. We demand that BJP immediately issue a public clarification and apologise to the people of the state for this dangerous and divisive propaganda.

Hindusthan Samachar / Rakesh Mahadevappa