Bengaluru: Social media split after viral video shows altercation on city bus
Bengaluru: A video posted by a migrant commuter in Bengaluru has triggered a heated debate online after he accused a BMTC bus driver and conductor of verbally and physically assaulting him, allegedly because he could not speak Kannada.
The commuter, Aditya Raj Agarwal, shared the clip on X, tagging Bengaluru Police and BMTC. He claimed the dispute began when Google Maps showed a stop where the bus driver refused to halt. On questioning, Agarwal alleged the conductor turned abusive and later assaulted him.
“The driver starts verbally (and then physically) assaults customers and even states not knowing Kannada as a reason,” Agarwal wrote while sharing the video.
Video sparks divided reactions
The incident quickly escalated into a language debate, with reactions sharply divided. While some users condemned the alleged behaviour of the BMTC staff, many defended them, arguing the commuter was misrepresenting the issue.
One post read:
“It’s a Vayu Vajra bus, it will not stop at 100 stops. Don’t play your Hindi victim card despite the driver repeating that he isn’t comfortable in your language.”
Another user argued:
“You can clearly see both the driver and conductor are not comfortable speaking in Hindi and are trying to explain their best as to why there is no stop. But this man is continuously harassing them, asking them to come to the police station. Why should they? They are people with families just like all of us.”
Commuters defend BMTC staff
Several commuters vouched for the bus crew, highlighting that disputes on Vayu Vajra buses are rare.
“Vajra buses and people are the best I have ever met in Bangalore. If you get into a fight with them, then something is wrong,” a user said.
Others pointed to a broader trend of turning small disputes into language controversies.
“Expecting a non-Hindi speaker to respond in Hindi and then calling it harassment is the root of the problem. BMTC staff should stick to Kannada only,” one post stated.
Migration and language fault lines
Some voices linked the incident to migration pressures in Karnataka, arguing that language disputes are being amplified.
“Why are migrants repeatedly turning every dispute into a language issue? Karnataka is already under pressure. Like Northeastern states have Inner Line Permits, Karnataka too needs protection,” another user wrote.
No official response yet
As the debate rages online, neither BMTC nor the Bengaluru Police has issued an official statement on the incident. The video, however, continues to spark discussions on civic behaviour, commuter rights, and linguistic divides in Bengaluru, a city where rapid migration often fuels friction over language and identity.