BELAGAVI: Several pro-Kannada activists who were en route to Maharashtra’s Shinoli town at the border to hoist a Kannada flag, were taken into custody by the Belagavi police on Friday. The activists wanted to plant the flag at Shinoli, which lies 10 km from Belagavi, in response to similar attempts made by a large number of pro-Marathi activists who entered Belagavi with their respective flags on Thursday.
Slamming the attempts made by pro-Marathi activists to cross the border from Shinoli with an intention to remove the Kannada flag erected in front of Belagavi City Corporation, pro-Kannada activists staged a protest at Chennamma Circle on Friday. Earlier, a large number of pro-Kannada activists, who took out a rally from Hirebagewadi were halted by the police before they could enter Belagavi city. However, they reached Chennamma Circle to join the protest soon after being allowed by the police