Karnataka leader D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday warned Bengaluru's information technology companies that the state government will take action against any private firm found deliberately sidelining Kannadigas — native Kannada speakers — in hiring, in a post on X reported by Nation Press, NewsPlainly, Gulte and Inshorts.

In the Kannada-language post, Shivakumar called complaints that Kannada speakers are being denied job opportunities in Bengaluru's IT companies disheartening, and said the government has taken the issue seriously. 'In Karnataka, the Kannadiga is sovereign. The government will not allow the rights, dignity and opportunities of Kannadigas to be disregarded for any reason,' he posted, according to the published translation.

He added that if any private institution is found to have deliberately sidelined Kannadigas, the government will take appropriate action. The post did not name any company, and did not specify which law or department would be used or what form the action would take, NewsPlainly reported.

The warning followed videos circulating on social media alleging bias against Kannada speakers by some Bengaluru IT companies. Those claims have not been independently verified, and they are reported here as claims, not as established fact. No IT company or industry body had responded publicly in the reports available on Sunday.

Bengaluru is widely described as India's technology capital, and its IT companies employ large numbers of people from Karnataka and other states, so any government move on local hiring affects both job-seekers and employers. Whether the warning leads to action against a specific company will decide what changes in practice. (Sources: Nation Press; NewsPlainly; Gulte; Inshorts)