A student’s remark that the Karnataka Education Minister “doesn’t know Kannada” sparked a heated response from Minister Madhu Bangarappa, who directed officials to take disciplinary action against the boy.

The incident unfolded during the launch of a government initiative to provide free online coaching to 25,000 students across Karnataka for CET, JEE, and NEET exams. During a virtual interaction on Wednesday, the student allegedly made the comment, which initially did not appear to faze the Minister. However, moments later, Bangarappa openly displayed his displeasure.

“Who is that? Am I speaking in Urdu? TV channels will keep showing this now. Whoever said I don’t know Kannada, record it and take action. This is very stupid. He should be ashamed,” the Minister said. He then turned to the principal secretary for school education, Ritesh Kumar, and PU department director, Sindhu Roopesh, instructing them to look into the matter and hold those responsible accountable.

“Who is the teacher, the Block Education Officer (BEO)? This has to be taken very seriously. Someone said the ‘Vidya Mantri’ (education minister) doesn’t know Kannada,” he added.

When one official suggested that the student might not have made the remark, Bangarappa insisted otherwise, saying, “He said that… you have to take action. I cannot sit quietly. See who it was.” The officials assured him that appropriate action would be taken.

The incident quickly drew criticism from the BJP, which accused the Minister of authoritarian behavior. Taking to social media, the party labeled him “Avidya Mantri” and accused him of stifling free speech. “You (the Minister) said this is a temple of knowledge, where questions should be asked with courage. And now you call someone who questions you ‘stupid’…” the BJP wrote on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).

In another post, the BJP highlighted what they called the Minister’s hypocrisy: “Madhu Bangarappa himself had earlier admitted that he doesn’t know Kannada properly. Now, when a student reminds him of it, he orders action not only against the student but also against the teachers and the BEO present. This is truly absurd. Congress’ dictatorial attitude is dangerous for democracy.”

The controversy has sparked a debate over the Minister’s response, with some questioning whether a student’s comment warranted such a severe reaction. Others have highlighted the need for better tolerance and openness from public figures when faced with criticism, especially in an educational setting.

Also read: Karnataka: Speech freedom row