Police detain MES activists ahead of protest

Police thwarted the Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti's mega protest by detaining its leaders and members here on Monday.

As the 10-day Legislature session of Karnataka started in Belagavi, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti decided to stage the demonstration demanding the merger of the entire district with Maharashtra.

The MES and some political outfits in Maharashtra have been pressing for this demand on the ground that the district and a few other neighbouring areas of Karnataka have a substantial Marathi-speaking population.

But, Karnataka has been rejecting the demand saying that the decision has already been taken decades ago.

The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti activist Suraj Kanbarkar said the police detained MES youth wing president Shubham Shelke, former MLA Manohar Kinekar, treasurer Prakash Marghale and MES councillor Shivaji Mandolkar.

Kanbarkar also said a few people from Maharashtra too tried to enter Karnataka but the Maharashtra police detained them entry.

He alleged that the police removed the pandal, chairs and tables from the protest site at Vaccine Depot Ground in Tilakwadi in Belagavi after giving permission.

Meanwhile, 60 organisations submitted applications for staging protest in front of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) during the winter session here.

Basava Mrutyujaya Swamiji of Panchamsali Peeth cautioned the government that if 2A status is not provided to Panchamsali Lingayat then he would lay siege of the SVS.

Karnataka Kshatriya Maratha Samaj would be taking out a rally demanding that their community should be given the status of 2-A on Tuesday. Farmers and sugarcane growers would also be staging a dharna demanding scientific price for their products.