BELAGAVI: Even though Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations passed off peacefully on November 1 in Belagavi, Maharashtra MP Dhairyasheel Mane has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to file a case of rights violation against Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Mohammad Roshan.
The development is feared to trigger a fresh political flashpoint over the long-standing border dispute between the two states.
Roshan, widely credited with the tight administrative grip that ensured a grand, incident-free Rajyotsava, had put in place stringent measures to prevent anti-Karnataka demonstrations on the same day.
In a memorandum submitted to Birla in New Delhi, Mane alleged that he was unlawfully restrained at the Karnataka border on November 1, terming the action a grave injustice and a violation of his fundamental rights as an elected representative. He said Roshan issued an “illegal notice”, following which police prevented him from entering Karnataka. He said it was a serious violation of democratic values and personal liberty.
Mane said the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi observe November 1 as “Black Day”, marking what they claim was a historical wrong during the linguistic reorganisation of states in 1956, when Belagavi and 865 Marathi-speaking villages were merged with Karnataka instead of Maharashtra. He said the day is traditionally marked by peaceful protests and black-flag demonstrations.