Siddaramaiah Warns Kerala Over 'Coercive' Malayalam Bill, Vows To Protect Linguistic Minorities

A political flashpoint has erupted over the Kerala government's proposed Malayalam language bill, which seeks to make Malayalam compulsory in all schools. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has strongly opposed the move, writing to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan that the policy is 'coercive' and violates the rights of linguistic minorities. While a Kerala minister suggested it is a 'misunderstanding', the BJP has also urged the Vijayan government not to impose the language in border areas. In Karnataka, a blockbuster movie trailer for 'Toxic' has sparked a political battle, with the BJP and JDS releasing AI-generated videos inspired by the film. The BJP's clip portrays Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a saviour, while the JDS's now-deleted video targeted Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar.