BELAGAVI: Congress MLA Bharamgouda (Raju) Kage has written to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding separate statehood for 15 districts of North Karnataka, alleging that the region has faced injustice, discrimination and neglect in every sector.
Renewing the decades-old demand of the people of North Karnataka, Kage said he supported the signature campaign started by the North Karnataka Struggle Committee for a separate state.
"I would like to express my strong demand for the creation of a new state comprising 15 districts of North Karnataka --namely Bidar, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Yadgir, Bagalkote, Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag, Koppal, Raichur, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Vijayanagara, Ballari, and Davanagere-- for administrative convenience and holistic development," Kage wrote in the letter to Murmu, PM Modi and Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.
The Congress MLA's office shared the letter dated November 4 with PTI on Wednesday.
According to Kage, since the unification of Karnataka, this region has continuously faced injustice, discrimination, and neglect in every sector.
"The formation of a separate state will give birth to another proud Kannada-speaking state, which will be a matter of great pride for us. North Karnataka is a region rich in all kinds of resources and has made a significant contribution to the preservation of the Kannada language and the unification of Karnataka," the letter said.
Extending support to the signature campaign of the representatives of the North Karnataka Struggle Committee, Kage said over one crore people have already given written consent and signed in favour of the demand.
"People from all sections of this region are demanding a separate state for their overall and inclusive development. Therefore, I humbly request you to kindly consider our appeal and recommend to the Central Government the formation of a separate North Karnataka state," the MLA said.
He also noted that a memorandum was submitted to the President on January 3 and the PMO on January 5 this year.