Stuck in traffic in the middle of a river, but at least the signboards are in Kannada: Bengaluru entrepreneur sparks debate

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Investor’s post triggers backlash

In his post, Banglani shared a photo from inside his car, stuck in the floodwaters, commenting, “I'm in a traffic jam in the middle of a frigging river. But hey, at least the signboards are in Kannada.” This remark drew attention, particularly for linking Bengaluru’s infrastructure problems with the ongoing language debate. Some social media users on platform X, formerly Twitter, expressed displeasure at Banglani’s reference to Kannada.

“Priorities bro, priorities. Instead of protesting for the poor infra, some people here were protesting for the language,” wrote X user Abhishek. Another user, Megha, commented, “You should go back to your own state instead of splashing around for free in this country’s rivers, and then complaining."

Banglani defends his remarks

In response to the backlash, Banglani defended himself, stating that he has every right to comment on the city's condition. «I'm as Bangalorean as you, and have as much right to the city as you do, including the right to criticize the administration. I can have a house here, raise my family, run a business, vote in elections but I guess I can never become a 'local',» he stated in a follow-up post on Wednesday. He further added, "...I'm not going anywhere because this is my home as much as it's yours."

Record-breaking rainfall brings Bengaluru to a halt

The rains that prompted Banglani’s post were part of a downpour that has severely impacted Bengaluru over the past few days. Schools in the city remained closed for the