Opposing railway exams being conducted only in Hindi and English, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) has announced that it would disrupt the exams scheduled to be held in Bengaluru and Hubballi on Tuesday.

South Western Railway is holding its promotion exams for 295 posts, including 194 posts for Goods Train Manager (60% promotional quota) and Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE) (15% promotional quota) in the Hubballi Division on Tuesday.

Following protests earlier in 2008, the Railway Examination Board began holding exams in local languages as well, including Kannada. “But the board has gone back to its old ways and is holding these exams only in Hindi and English. We will not allow this exam to take place at any cost,” said T. A. Narayana Gowda, president, KRV.

He said the KRV would hold a protest in front of the Railway Divisional Office near Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna City Railway Station in Bengaluru on Tuesday. He further said that Cottonpet Police had served them a notice warning them not to hold the protest, but added that the protest would go ahead as scheduled.

“We are ready to go to jail to protect the interest of Kannadigas. We will celebrate Ugadi in jail this year,” he said.

Mr. Gowda also demanded the resignation of Union Ministers V. Somanna, who is a Minister of State in Railways Department, H.D. Kumaraswamy and Pralhad Joshi, for failing to protect the interest of the State.