Kannada vs Urdu Next? Amid the Kannada vs Hindi debate, CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress Government came under fire from the Opposition BJP over a notification that mandated Urdu as a must-know language for Anganwadi teachers. The notification has sparked an outrage with the BJP accusing the Congress of carrying out ‘Muslim appeasement’. 

“The announcement of the Congress government of the state that to get a job as an anganwadi teacher, one should know Urdu language is condemnable. The backdoor attempt to appease the Muslim community in the recruitment of Anganwadi teachers and allow only them to get jobs is once again highlighting the insidious policy of the Congress. The height of nasty politics,” said BJP leader and former MP Nalinkumar Kateel.

ಅಂಗನವಾಡಿ ಶಿಕ್ಷಕಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಸಿಗಬೇಕಾದರೆ ಉರ್ದು ಭಾಷೆ ಗೊತ್ತಿರಬೇಕು ಎಂಬ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರಕಾರದ ಘೋಷಣೆ ಖಂಡನೀಯ.

ಅಂಗನವಾಡಿ ಶಿಕ್ಷಕರ ನೇಮಕಾತಿಯಲ್ಲಿಯೂ ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯವನ್ನು ಒಲೈಸುವ, ಅವರಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಕೆಲಸ ಸಿಗುವಂತೆ ದಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡುವ ಹಿಂಬಾಗಿಲ ಯತ್ನ ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ಸಿಗರ ಕುಟಿಲ ನೀತಿ ಎತ್ತಿ ತೋರಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.

ಅಸಹ್ಯ… pic.twitter.com/M6Ry24dOr3
— Nalinkumar Kateel (@nalinkateel) September 23, 2024

The BJP said on X, “The Karnataka government is imposing Urdu in Kannada-speaking regions. An official order from the Department of Women and Child Welfare has mandated that candidates applying for the position of Anganwadi teachers in Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru district, must know Urdu. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister of Women and Child Welfare, Laxmi Hebbalkar, Karnataka’s official language is Kannada. Why is Urdu being made mandatory in such a case? Please respond.”

ಕನ್ನಡ ನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಉರ್ದು ಹೇರಿಕೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರ.

ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಮೂಡಿಗೆರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂಗನವಾಡಿ ಶಿಕ್ಷಕರ ಹುದ್ದೆಗೆ ನೇಮಕಗೊಳ್ಳಲು ಉರ್ದು ಕಡ್ಡಾಯವಾಗಿ ಬರಬೇಕಂತೆ, ಹೀಗೆಂದು ಮಹಿಳಾ ಮತ್ತು ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಇಲಾಖೆಯಿಂದ ಅಧಿಕೃತ ಆದೇಶ ಹೊರಬಿದ್ದಿದೆ.

ಸಿಎಂ @siddaramaiah ಅವರೆ, ಮಹಿಳಾ ಮತ್ತು ಮಕ್ಕಳ… pic.twitter.com/SX3S9VwXwB

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) September 23, 2024

According to reports, since Urdu is not an official language and is primarily offered as an optional subject in Urdu-medium schools, mandating it as a requirement for Anganwadi recruitment appears unjustified. The Karnataka government under Congress, since 2017, had been planning to introduce Urdu teaching in Anganwadi centres.