'We want an empty city! Please leave...': Instagrammer's video on North Indians in Bengaluru triggers backlash

An Instagram influencer kicked up a row with a controversial reel where she claimed Bengaluru would be "emptied" if North Indians left the city. Sugandh Sharma, who has over 17,000 followers on Instagram, said in the video, "If we all really leave Bengaluru, your city would become empty. PGs will be vacant, clubs will lose their charm, and you won’t see the girls dancing to Punjabi music in Koramangala anymore.” 

She went on to claim that Bengaluru would lose its vibrancy without the presence of North Indians, sparking an intense backlash online. In the original video, she added the caption, "Bangalore sabka hai, kisi ek ka nahi" (Bangalore belongs to everyone, not just a few).

The video was removed following the outrage. Many called her video divisive. Actor Chaithra J Achar commented, “If you can actually leave, just as an experiment, and see how Bangalore becomes empty, we are ready to live with that emptiness and dancer-less pubs. We can live with it. Really. Forget all other North Indians. You leave, ma’am, enough for now!”

Entrepreneur and influencer Yudister Narayan voiced his frustration, stating that the video perpetuates unnecessary hostility. 

"We’ve never had major issues with North Indian friends. Some influencers seem to have a personal agenda pushing this 'North India vs Bangalore' narrative. We all coexist here and embrace diversity. Please stop spreading hate.”

Kannadiga influencer Kusuma Rajanna also expressed discontent, remarking, “We want an empty city! Please leave. We are not running Bengaluru with your money, and your home is running because of Bengaluru. It’s your actions that upset people, not your presence."

Despite the backlash, Sharma defended her stance in follow-up reels, insisting the video was intended as comedy and not an attack on Kannadigas. “I love Bengaluru, and I didn’t mean to spread hate. Everyone should have an open mind,” she said, adding that she’s been learning Kannada and has a deep affection for the city. 

In another reel, she declared, “Bangalore, I am here to stay.”