BANGALORE: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the government was committed to protect all citizens of the state.
Responding to the Yellur incident, Siddaramaiah said Belgaum is an integral part of the state. “According to the court order, the government had removed the name board put up by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti. They reconstructed the board which was pulled down at 6 am on Sunday,” he said.
Police resorted to light caning after some miscreants tried to attack journalists. “The government will not spare anyone who takes the law into their hands. The situation at Yellur is peaceful and there has been no untoward incidents.”
MES and other pro-Maharashtra activists have cancelled the bandh they called in Belgaum.
Opposition leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar too endorsed the CM’s stand and said Belgaum is an integral part of the state.
“These riots were started by MES for political gain. They should not go against the Constitution and they have to obey the court order,” he said. He also said both Kannadigas and Marathi speaking people are living harmoniously in Belgaum while the MES is trying to divide them on linguistic grounds. Asked whether the BJP’s alliance with the Shiv Sena will dilute their stand, Shettar said: “The state BJP is firm on its stand.”
CM Demands Probe
Reacting to the alleged land denotification in Arkavathy Layout, the CM said: “The CAG report has pointed out that the Gujarat government incurred a loss of `25,000 crore because of indiscriminate land allotments when Modi was the CM. I demand a probe into this.”
