BELAGAVI: The tussle between Karnataka and Maharashtra over the boundary dispute took a violent turn on Tuesday as a large number of Kannada activists, who were stopped by the police at Hirebagewadi toll plaza, threw stones on Maharashtra-registered vehicles damaging many of them. The incident occurred when the activists of Karnataka Rakshna Vedike (KRV), headed by its state president Narayanagowda, tried to enter Belagavi via Hirebagewadi toll plaza on Tuesday morning.
Several trucks, bearing Maharashtra state registration, were pelted with stones by Kannada activists soon after they were halted by the police at Hirebagewadi. The activists were on their way to Rani Chennamma Circle in Belagavi city in protest against the possible arrival of two Maharashtra ministers to Belagavi on Tuesday. Meanwhile, in retaliation against the attack on trucks from Maharashtra in Karnataka, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) workers on Tuesday defaced a few KSRTC buses in Pune. The Pune police claimed to have arrested three in the incident.
2 Maha ministers cancel visit
Two Maharashtra ministers - Chandrakant Patil and Shamburaj Desai - decided on Tuesday against visiting Belagavi due to the escalating tension and the pressure exerted by various Kannada groups and Chief Minister Bommai for the past few days.
Bommai on Monday had said that his government would not hesitate to initiate legal action against the two ministers if they tried to enter Belagavi.
Meanwhile, Kannada activists indulged in verbal clashes with the police at Hirebagewadi and many of them fell down while trying to escape from the police. Several Kannada activists were taken into custody by the police soon after the violence broke out at Hirebagewadi. According to the police, the activists were released later in the day. Speaking to the media near Hirebagewadi, Narayanagowda said Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka and nobody can take it away.
He hit out at the police for stopping Kannada leaders and activists from entering Belagavi and questioned the police as to whether they were ruling the state. He also questioned the way police assaulted Kannada activists and said it was not fair of the police to attack Kannadigas. “I will discuss the issue with Home Minister Araga Jnanendra as to why the police did not allow us to enter Belagavi today. We are not visiting Maharashtra but the city which is in Karnataka,’’ he added.
He also said that he would also hold discussions with ADGP (L&O) Alok Kumar about the alleged assault by police of a student in a college in Belagavi for waving the Kannada flag.
Sena, MES activists taken into custody
Several Shiv Sena activists from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, who thronged the Karnataka check post on the border at Nippani on Monday, were taken into custody when they tried to enter Belagavi district. The activists were angry over the ban on the entry of Maharashtra ministers to Belagavi on December 6 and decided to enter the district from Kugnoli check post at Nippani on Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, members of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) were taken into custody at the DC’s office in Belagavi for raising slogans demanding the merger of Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani with Maharashtra. However, DC Nitesh Patil refused to meet the MES members, who were taken into custody and released later. Meanwhile, ADGP (L&O) Alok Kumar said proper security arrangements are in place to protect those travelling to Karnataka from Maharasthra.
COMMITTED TO PROTECTING K’TAKA BORDER: CM
CM Bommai said that his government is committed to protecting its border and people, and also taking care of Kannadigas living in Maharashtra, Telangana, Kerala and other states. Bommai said his request to Maharashtra ministers not to visit the state has nothing to do with the Assemb’y polls in Karnataka. The Maharashtra leaders have been nurturing this row for a long time and that is the reason for reactions from both sides, he said. “I have told them that people have cordial relations and we must not disturb it,” he added.Karnataka is confident of winning the legal battle, he said. “Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde had teleph-onic discussion with me. We agreed there should be peace and law and order. Since there is harmonious relations between the people of both the states, there is no change in our stand as far as Karnataka border is concerned. And the legal battle will be pursued in SC,” he said.
MAHA Deputy CM Fadnavis dials Bommai
Amidst the growing tension between Karnataka and Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM of Maharashtra, on Tuesday dialled CM Basavaraj Bommai and insisted that Karnataka government should take steps to prevent any untoward incident in Belagavi. This comes after stones were pelted on buses from Maharashtra in Karnataka. When two Maharashtra ministers insisted on visiting Belagavi it was Fadnavis who had managed to calm them down following a call by Bommai. They had spoken to each other on Sunday as well, sources said. In fact, Bommai and Fadnavis have been in constant touch with each other for the last couple days.