Kannada Actress Harshika Poonacha Faces Mob Assault In Bengaluru: ‘Are We In Pakistan?'

Actress Harshika Poonacha was allegedly the target of a mob assault in Bengaluru only for speaking in Kannada.

Kannada actress Harshika Poonacha recently found herself at the center of a distressing incident in Bengaluru. Allegedly attacked by a mob for speaking in her native language, she detailed the incident in a video shared on social media. According to her, the attackers not only assaulted her family but also attempted to snatch her husband's gold chain. Despite seeking assistance from a nearby police officer, Harshika expressed disappointment over the lack of intervention. 

What was the incident?

The incident unfolded when Harshika Poonacha and her family were reportedly targeted in Fraser Town, Bangalore for speaking in Kannada. Recounting the harrowing experience, she shared a video capturing the events on social media. 

The actress expressed concerns about the safety of locals in Bengaluru saying, "I was on a casual dinner with family on a late evening in a restaurant in mosque Road, Pulikeshi nagar near Frazer town area a couple of days ago. After dinner, we received our vehicle from valet parking when 2 men suddenly appeared near the driver's seat window & started arguing.”

She elaborated on the sequence of events, stating, "My husband stayed calm when they started an argument, but the group soon got violent, tried to hit him, and even snatched his gold chain." 

She added, “A couple of questions popped up in my mind while I witnessed this unfold in front of my eyes 1. Are we living in pakistan or Afghanistan?? 2. Is it wrong to use my language Kannada & get abused for it in my city??? 3. How safe are we in our city? 4. Being born & brought up here in Namma Bengaluru should we turn a blind eye to such incidents which lead to such long-term mental trauma?”

In a heartfelt appeal to the karnataka police and the chief minister, she questioned the safety of Bengaluru residents and urged action to prevent such incidents from becoming commonplace. “I hereby humbly request the honourable chief minister of the state & the karnataka state police Department to look into the matter & take appropriate action so that such incidents do not become a common occurrence in our city which we love so much.”