'Kannada Cannot Be Forced On Muslims, It Is A Delicate Issue': KDA Chairman Purushottama Bilimale

Purushottama Bilimale, Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority, is facing criticism for a recent Facebook post suggesting that the matter of teaching Kannada in Urdu-medium schools and madrassas be put on hold as the minority community is opposing it.

This comes from the recent controversy surrounding the proposed bill mandating reservations for Kannada locals in the private sector. After heavy criticism from industry leaders, the bill was put on hold by the Congress government in Karnataka.

Bilimale, known to be a supporter of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has come under the scanner for his doublespeak on the matter. Just a day earlier, in a separate post, he praised the government of Karnataka for bringing the reservation bill to the table for discussion.

In the past, Bilimale has made other controversial remarks. At a gathering in Mangaluru earlier this year, he said that the Christian missionaries were responsible for bringing growth and development to the coastal region of the state.

In an article published by The Newsminute, Bilimale remarked that the practice of making Koragas run on the field before Kambala was a 'fuedalist' and a 'casteist' system implemented by the Bunts "who consider Koragas as being inferior to the buffaloes owned by the feudal lords".

On 16 July, Bilimale said that the Kannada Development Authority has announced a plan to implement Kannada language lessons in madrasas across the state.

Initially, this initiative was to be introduced in select madrassas in Bengaluru, Vijayapura, Raichur, and Kalaburagi, with Kannada being taught two days a week.

“The primary objective is to bridge the language gap, and there has been a demand for this initiative from the minority Muslim community as well,” he stated.