Kannada language row: Driver slams toll booth employee for speaking in Hindi

A video of a driver slamming a toll booth employee for speaking in Hindi has added fresh fuel to the ongoing language row on social media. The video, in which a man is heard screaming at another for speaking in Hindi at a toll booth located on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border, has gone viral, leaving people with opposing opinions.
In the video, the man is heard asking why the employee is not speaking in Kannada. The employee, in turn, takes out his phone to record the conversation and defends his stand, saying that Hindi is a language spoken all over India. The rest of the video further captures the heated argument.
With over 73,000 views, the share has collected nearly 200 likes. It has also prompted people to post various opinions.
“They have to speak or else they can go to their respective states and build there,” posted an X user. Another added, “It is obviously forced. When the toll operator clearly said that he is NOT willing to speak in Kannada, then the Kannadiga driver should have dropped the conversation and gone ahead. Forcing the toll operator to speak Kannada is unacceptable. The toll operator should file an FIR.”
A third commented, “And no one forces Kannada people to speak in Hindi when in the north. I see a tremendous divide between people from the south and north. Then, within the south, people are divided between Tamil, Andhra, Karnataka, and Malayalee. These divisions are of the mind only. We should learn to coexist.”
A fourth wrote, “The area is north Karnataka, where most locals are Marathi speakers. In India, every 100 km, you will find a different language and culture. Hence, it is illogical for someone to learn some other local language just because he works there.”
The Kannada language row has taken social media by storm, with people commenting to show their support or speak against the issue. It all started with a viral post: “To everyone coming to Bengaluru, You will be treated as OUTSIDERS in Bengaluru if you don’t speak Kannada or make an effort to speak Kannada. Write it down, Share it around. We ain’t Joking.”
It didn’t take long for the X post to go viral, with people flooding the comments section with opinionated reactions. Following this, several social media posts surfaced, supporting or against the viral X post. Further, it sparked a war of words about North India and South India on social media.