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SDPI Urges Karnataka Govt to Grant Urdu Official Language Status
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News18•21-09-2026, 23:00
SDPI Urges Karnataka Govt to Grant Urdu Official Language Status
- •The SDPI Karnataka unit has urged Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to accord Urdu the status of an official language in the state.
- •This plea follows the state Cabinet's decision to recognize Tulu as the second additional official administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
- •SDPI state president Abdul Majid welcomed the Tulu decision and argued for a similar approach for Urdu, citing its long history and use by lakhs of people in Karnataka.
- •The party highlighted that Urdu is a major mother tongue in Karnataka, referencing the 2011 Census C-16 report.
- •SDPI cited Telangana's declaration of Urdu as its second official language as a model, emphasizing that recognizing Urdu would not diminish Kannada's status.
Key Questions Answered
The SDPI urged Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to grant Urdu official language status following the state Cabinet's decision to recognise Tulu as an additional official administrative language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, arguing that Urdu is a major mother tongue spoken by lakhs of people in the state for a long time and deserves the same principle of equality.
The SDPI cited Telangana as an example, noting that Urdu was declared the state's second official language through the Telangana Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2017.
The SDPI referred to the Census of India, specifically highlighting the 2011 Census C-16 report, which separately records Urdu mother-tongue speakers in Karnataka.
