'Won't tolerate,' Pro-Kannada outfit issues open threat to ex-Infosys CEO for opposing reservation bill
- In Reports
- 11:44 AM, Jul 20, 2024
- Myind Staff
The job reservation controversy in the Indian state of Karnataka appears to be evolving into an ongoing issue. A local pro-Kannada organisation has now issued a threat against the former CEO of IT giant Infosys for expressing his views against the reservation bill.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) chief Narayana Gowda criticised Mohandas Pai for labelling the bill as 'fascist'. The bill would have mandated the reservation of 50 percent of management jobs and 75 percent of non-management jobs for Kannadigas in both the public and private sectors. Following significant backlash, the state government had to withdraw the controversial bill.
Gowda also warned the state government that it would stage a massive revolt if the bill wasn't passed in the assembly. Reacting to Pai's statement against the bill, the KRV chief said, "Who is Mohandas Pai? He had earned crores of rupees in Karnataka, and now he is threatening Kannadigas. The people of Karnataka are observing everything, and they will not tolerate it. CM Siddaramaiah must stand with the people of the state in this issue.”
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a radical group claiming to fight for the rights of locals, states that it has been advocating for local job reservation bills for the past four decades.
"If the bill is not passed, the entire state will revolt against the government,” Gowda warned.
He also alleged that IT companies in the state colluded to press the government to roll back the bill.
“Soon after the cabinet approved the Bill, IT companies in Bengaluru threatened relocation. I suspect that these companies approached ‘high command,’ resulting in pausing the Bill,” he added.
The bill received approval from the state cabinet last week but encountered resistance from the influential IT sector and prominent individuals.
Mohandas Pai also took to X to voice his opposition. He wrote, " This bill should be junked. It is discriminatory, regressive and against the constitution @Jairam_Ramesh is government to certify who we are? This is a fascist bill as in Animal Farm, It is unbelievable that @INCIndia can come up with a bill like this- a government officer will sit on recruitment committees of the private sector? People have to take a language test?”
Karnataka is a major IT hub of India and is home to its own Silicon Valley in the capital city of Bengaluru.
Image source: Wion
Comments