Karnataka language row: Following the latest language row in Karnataka, Sonu Nigam Singh has Singh reignited a fierce public debate with his sharp response to BJP MP Tejasvi Surya’s remarks. The controversy began when a video showing a confrontation between a bank manager and a customer over language went viral. In reaction, Surya took to X (formerly Twitter), calling the manager’s inability to speak Kannada “simply not acceptable,” and insisted that customer service staff in Karnataka must be proficient in the state’s official language.

Nigam targets ‘language politics’

Nigam, known for not mincing words, fired back at the MP’s comments with a sarcastic and pointed post. “Don’t dub Kannada movies in Hindi! Don’t release Kannada movies pan-India!” he wrote. “Do you have the guts to say this to Kannada film stars, Mr. @Tejasvi_Surya, or are you just another language warrior?” he added, questioning what he sees as the hypocrisy in applying regional language standards selectively.

‘Make Kannada mandatory for all’

Further intensifying his stance, Nigam posted a satirical remark in Hindi:
“सॉफ्टवेयर कंपनियों में भी कन्नड़ भाषा को अनिवार्य किया जाना चाहिए… अमेरिकी क्लाइंट्स को भी कन्नड़ में बात करनी चाहिए।”
(Translation: Kannada should be made mandatory in software companies. If American clients want to work on projects in Karnataka, they should also speak Kannada.)
The comment, steeped in sarcasm, was clearly aimed at highlighting the impracticality of rigid language mandates in a globalised work environment like Bengaluru’s IT sector.

What did CM Siddaramaiah say?

Just hours before Nigam’s post, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah weighed in on the viral bank incident. He condemned the manager’s conduct and urged service providers to treat customers with respect and attempt to communicate in the local language whenever possible.