Harshika Poonacha, a Kannada film actress, on Friday revealed through a social media post that she and her family were allegedly attacked by a group of people in Bengaluru's Frazer Town. They were mobbed for speaking in the local language Kannada, and the group of people even tried to snatch a gold chain from her husband Bhuvann Ponnannaa. Sharing a video and series of pictures, she asked the authorities how safe residents are in Bengaluru.
A couple of days ago, Harshika and her family had reportedly gone out for dinner at a restaurant on Mosque road in Frazer town's Pulikeshi Nagar. However, she narrated that two men suddenly appeared near their car's driver seat window, and argued that the vehicle could touch them if it moved suddenly.
"My husband ignored it by saying "innu move maadilwalla side bidi" (we haven't moved at all right, please move aside now). He moved the vehicle ahead a little, by then these two men started abusing him and my family in their language saying these Kannada people should be taught a lesson and even tried to hit him on the face," Harshika narrated. She further revealed that around 20 to 30 people gathered around their car within two to three minutes, and two people tried to snatch Bhuvann Ponnannaa's gold chain. She added, “My husband realised this on time and quickly held on to it and gave it to me.”
However, soon the gang of people started damaging their vehicle, and physically abuse them. “Also these guys had a problem that we were talking in Kannada. They were like your coming to our area and stop talking in languages you want. “Yeh local kannad wala hey” (these guys are local Kannada people). It agitated them more when my hubby and me spoke only in Kannada. They said keep your ”Kannada style" to yourself. Most of them spoke either Hindi , Urdu and a few in broken Kannada," Harshika stated.
She soon reached out to an inspector she knew, and only after that the gang “disappeared into thin air in a matter of seconds”. She revealed that she tried to get help from an ASI from the nearby police station, but “he did not seem keen to help”. Harshika further shared, “He said we should talk to higher ups in the department and did not even have the courtesy to come and find out what happened. He wanted to drink the moosambi juice that he was drinking in front of a restaurant just two buildings ahead.”
Lastly, she questioned the authorities, “Are we living in PAKISTAN or AFGHANISTAN?? Is it wrong to use my language Kannada and get abused for it in my own city??? How really safe are we in our own city?” She even requested CM Siddaramaiah and the Karnataka State Police Department to take appropriate action in this shocking matter.
