By India Today News Desk: A young man from Bihar employed in Bengaluru has alleged harassment and abuse from locals for not knowing Kannada. In a video uploaded on April 7, the man is seen weeping and angrily saying that he had been abused and threatened for not knowing Kannada. The man, who says he’s from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur city, is heard saying that he works at a food stall in Bengaluru.
“What do they think of themselves? Will they kill us? Everybody abuses and belittles us, without even showing mercy. I request the government to do justice to the Hindi-speaking people in Karnataka.I work hard to make ends meet and all I receive is abuse and hate. What is a Hindi speaking man to these people? Is being Bihari a crime? Do we not belong to this country? I challenge, come and kill me now. I am ready,” the man said in the video.
The video quickly went viral with people sharing it and saying that the clip was ‘exposed the xenophobia that exists in Karnataka’.
However, the Bengaluru Police, which took note of the viral video, has said that the issue at hand was not about language but about an argument over “bad food”.
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner Pratap Reddy told the media that the young man had returned to Bihar since.
The commissioner said, “We found out that there was an altercation between him and another group who only knew Kannada. It was not a harassment issue. Since the youth has returned to his hometown, we are collecting more details from him and action will be initiated.”
A preliminary investigation by the Subramanyanagar police has reportedly revealed that there was an altercation between the young man and some people over “bad food” and a “torn currency note”. Police have also said that there was a communication gap between Yadav and some women customers who had come.
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner also said, “I request citizens to dial 112 whenever there is a grievance. Our personnel will reach you within 30 minutes.”
It was just a month back that a similar incident took place in Tamil Nadu where a ‘fake’ video showing migrant workers reportedly attacked emerged.
