The South Western Railway has postponed departmental promotion exams across Karnataka following strong protests over the absence of Kannada as a language option. The move has sparked political reactions, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticising the sudden decision.

The exams, which were scheduled to fill 295 posts—including 194 Goods Train Manager positions and 101 vacancies through a Limited Departmental Competitive Examination in the Hubballi division—were to be held in cities like Bengaluru and Hubballi. However, they were cancelled at the last moment after protests intensified.

Siddaramaiah said the cancellation created confusion and uncertainty among employees, especially since concerns had already been raised about the lack of a Kannada option. He pointed out that thousands of candidates had peacefully objected earlier, but the railway authorities failed to respond in time.

Members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike staged demonstrations at multiple exam centres, with some entering venues to demand the inclusion of Kannada alongside English and Hindi. Protesters argued that limiting the exam to just two languages puts local candidates at a disadvantage.

Railway officials confirmed that both morning and afternoon sessions were postponed and assured that new dates would be announced soon. Meanwhile, protest leaders, including KRV president T. A. Narayana Gowda, stated that exams will not be allowed unless Kannada is included.

The issue has also reignited debate over language policies in central government exams. Siddaramaiah called it part of a larger pattern of neglect towards regional languages, stressing that while Hindi is not opposed, its imposition will not be accepted in a linguistically diverse country like India.

He urged the Centre to reschedule the exams at the earliest and ensure candidates are given the option to write them in Kannada.