Bengaluru, Dec 29 (IANS): Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that he felt "pained" following the arrest of 'Kannada Rakshana Vedike' chief T.A. Narayana Gowda and others in connection with the vandalism and violence that took place here on December 27 which saw tearing down of English posters of many commercial outlets with a demand to give prominence to local language.

Speaking during the inauguration programme of the renovated Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Auditorium coinciding with the birth anniversary of poet, playwright and novelist Kuvempu, the former CM said "the need of the hour was to support those activists".

Bommai said that when he was the chief minister, he had ordered withdrawal of over 2,000 cases filed against Kannada activists.

"The current situation is because of not having any strict rule on Kannada on the signboards. Our (previous) government brought a bill for the implementation of Kannada. It is a matter of sadness that they need to invoke law for the mandatory implementation of Kannada in Karnataka even after 75 years of Independence.

"The Kannada activists are holding a stir over the non-implementation of the rule... and the agitations were not held where Kannada language is displayed on signboards. Protests are happening in places where the rules were not brought into force," he said.

Bommai said the Kannada Sahitya Parishat has put in a lot of efforts for the survival of the Kannada language.

"The Kannadigas must be awakened if they want the Kannada language to remain relevant forever," the BJP leader said.

Meanwhile, describing Kuvempu as "Vishwamanava", Bommai said Kuvempu had a different personality and could be called "Yuga Purusha".

"By delving deep into his personality, one would understand the qualities which were nothing but of a 'Vishwa Manava'," the former chief minister said.