‘Speak in Hindi, doesn’t matter if you are in Noida or Bengaluru’: Man threatens cab driver, viral video sparks outrage

In the viral video, the man, visibly furious, tells the cab driver to speak in Hindi. “Noida mein raho ya Banglore mein raho, tum bhi Hindi mein baat karo (Doesn’t matter if you are in Noida or Bengaluru! Speak in Hindi),” the man says, while his friend tries to diffuse the argument.

“You have come to Bengaluru, you speak in Kannada. I won’t speak in Hindi,” the driver replies in Kannada. Although the reason behind the scuffle remains unknown, the video is being widely circulated on social media and has triggered backlash against the passenger. Sharing the video, an X user, Vinay Reddy, wrote, “Hindi is not our national language.”

Watch here:

ಹಿಂದಿ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಭಾಷೆ ಅಲ್ಲ. pic.twitter.com/sKBlGmbdX0

— ವಿನಯ್. ಎಸ್. ರೆಡ್ಡಿ (@Vinayreddy71) April 18, 2025

The video accumulated over 30 lakh views, triggering a sea of reactions. “Although Bengaluru is fast turning into a Delhi’s southern version, the arrogance is exactly the reason why the locals feel the need to pushback on the North Indians who have come to geographical south india and a state with majority Kannadigas,” a user wrote.

“This arrogance is the reason almost every southern state hates us,” another user commented.

“Although I am from Hindi speaking region but this act is not acceptable,how can we force someone to speak in some particular language,” a third user reacted.

In December, a woman attending Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Bengaluru claimed that she was harassed for speaking in Hindi. In a lengthy post on X, the woman claimed that she was pushed by another woman, who also hurled abuses and shamed her for speaking in Hindi.