Bengaluru: Industry captains have called on the D.K. Shivakumar government to act against pro-Kannada vigilante groups intimidating tech firms in India’s IT capital by barging into corporate offices and demanding details of hiring practices.
Ramesh Govindan (Tiger Ramesh), a serial entrepreneur, Tuesday joined several of his peers in demanding answers from the Karnataka government.
“I don’t understand why the present government is permitting such intimidation. Private sector runs on merit across the country and not just in Karnataka. Karnataka government should put an end to such direct intimidation tactics,” he wrote in an X post.
The Magnasoft Board of Directors member recalled that in 1999, when Chandrababu Naidu had invited him to move his tech business to Hyderabad, then chief minister S. M. Krishna had sent the chief secretary to convince him not to take up the offer.
The statements come a day after members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV)—one of the most prominent Kannada language rights groups—barged into a tech company and sought details of their hiring practices. The group’s concerns stem from reports claiming discrimination against Kannada-language speakers in the city’s top IT firms.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KARAVE), a pro-Kannada organisation, launched its 'Agraha Abhiyan' campaign to seek fair job opportunities for Kannadigas in private companies operating in Karnataka. On the first day, over 10 teams visited more than 100 IT and… pic.twitter.com/RkqtqCjqXd
— ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2026
Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai too posted on X Monday: For our @CMofKarnataka we cannot have vigilante groups running the State when we have @DKShivakumar as our CM. This must stop @PriyankKharge @lkatheeq.”
In the year 1999, I was running a large tech business out of Bangalore. Mr @ncbn invited me to move our venture to Hyderabad. He spoke to me directly. When our then CM Shri SM Krishna heard about this he sent the CS of Karnataka Mr Bhattacharya and IT Secretary Sanjay Dasgupta to… https://t.co/NhwRcUHMO2
— Tiger Ramesh (@TigeRamesh) November 3, 2026
https://t.co/cSzvNwEsb4. For our @CMofKarnataka we cannot have Vigilante groups running the State when we have @DKShivakumar as our CM. This must stop @PriyankKharge @lkatheeq
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 2, 2026
ThePrint reached Karnataka’s IT minister Priyank Kharge via phone for comment. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
In Bengaluru, language rights groups intervening in situations where they feel that Kannada or the local population has been slighted, has frequently sparked controversy.
These groups have been quite vocal on the Cauvery water dispute with Tamil Nadu, and are extremely active during the annual Karnataka Rajyotsava to “safeguard” the rights of Kannadigas. However, they have also been accused of taking up causes under the guise of protecting local interests.
Incidentally, CM Shivakumar had last month warned IT companies of action if they are found to be indulging in discriminatory practices and sidelining locals.
“It is disheartening to hear complaints that Kannadigas are being denied job opportunities in Bengaluru’s IT companies. The government has taken seriously the issue of native Kannada speakers being sidelined,” Shivakumar had then posted on X.
The CM’s statements came after the video of an unnamed woman went viral on social media, alleging bias in IT companies and claiming a preference for candidates from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu among others. The woman alleged that IT companies were averse to resumes if they mentioned ‘Kannada’.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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