RCB faces ire of Kannada speakers over Hindi social media handle

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), one of the most popular teams in the IPL, is under attack from Kannada speakers after launching a social media account in Hindi, with critics asking the team to quit Karnataka.

The social media onslaught on RCB, which enjoys a following of 23 million on its social media accounts, mirrors the discomfort that several Hindi speakers say they now face in Bengaluru for using Hindi.

RCB, which has English and Kannada accounts on X, launched a Hindi account on Sunday. It now has more than 2,500 followers.

Kannada fans are furious

One of its first posts was a video in which RCB's ace cricketer Virat Kohli, in Hindi, shares his joy at being retained by the franchise. RCB's videos are now available in Hindi too.

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This has not gone down well with the franchise’s hardcore Kannada fans who allege that Hindi is being imposed on non-Hindi speakers. Their opposition has led to a huge backlash.

In the comments section, many slammed the RCB over the Hindi handle. Some said this disrespected Kannada culture while others told RCB to move to north India.

Some are for Hindi

Some even suggested that RCB must remove Bengaluru from its name. A few wanted to know why the Bengaluru-based team needed a Hindi account.

A section of the fans, however, welcomed the move, saying Hindi was widely used across the country and this will bring the RCB closer to the Hindi-speaking world.

Many residents in the city have complained about the growing aggression of pro-Kannada organisations who insist that residents must not speak in Hindi.

Harassment of Hindi speakers

Hindi speakers in the city have complained of linguistic harassment. Some have alleged on social media that even auto-rickshaw drivers are insisting that they must talk in Kannada.

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Earlier this year, the Bengaluru civic body told all shopkeepers to ensure that signboards have at least 60 per cent of Kannada content. Several shops which did not fall in line were targeted by pro-Kannada activists.

Long-time residents say there is a lot of resentment against a virtual invasion of Hindi speakers from other parts of India, particularly in the IT industry, in Bengaluru. This has fuelled linguistic tensions in the city.