Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has formally urged his Kerala counterpart, Pinarayi Vijayan, to withdraw the controversial Malayalam Bhasha Bill 2025. The Bill, recently passed by the Kerala Assembly, aims to make Malayalam a mandatory first language up to Class 10 in all government and aided schools across the state, including Kannada-medium institutions. Siddaramaiah expressed serious concerns, terming the Bill an "attack on linguistic freedom" and a potential violation of constitutional rights guaranteed to linguistic minorities in India. He highlighted the specific plight of Kannada-speaking populations in Kerala's border district of Kasaragod, stating that imposing Malayalam would deprive them of the opportunity to learn in their mother tongue and undermine their cultural identity. The Chief Minister emphasized that India's strength lies in its linguistic diversity and that languages flourish through mutual respect, not compulsion. This move by Siddaramaiah follows a meeting between a delegation from the Karnataka Border Area Development Authority (KBADA) and Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. The KBADA had also petitioned the Governor to withhold assent to the Bill, citing its unconstitutional nature and adverse impact on Kannada speakers. Notably, a similar Malayalam language bill was rejected by the President in 2017, and the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has previously advised Kerala to protect minority linguistic interests. The Karnataka government has indicated that it will explore all constitutional avenues, including potentially approaching the President, if the Bill is implemented.