Belagavi: Police detained and later released pro-Kannada activists who attempted to picket the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) office on Tuesday. The protesters demanded a resolution affirming the city as part of Karnataka and supporting the Mahajan Commission report in the ongoing border dispute.
Protest Details
The demonstration was led by prominent pro-Kannada leaders Vatal Nagaraj, Sa Ra Govindu, and Manjunath Devar. Activists performed rituals before marching towards the BCC office, where they were stopped by police personnel. Addressing supporters near the deputy commissioner’s office, Vatal Nagaraj asserted that Belagavi would always remain an integral part of Karnataka. He emphasized that nothing prevented the BCC from passing a pro-Kannada resolution and warned of intensified protests if no decision was taken within a week.
Future Plans
Nagaraj announced that Kannada organizations would meet in Bengaluru on June 4 to decide on a statewide bandh over the issue. Sa Ra Govindu stated that the agitation for Belagavi and Kannada would continue until its goals were achieved. Several activists from various pro-Kannada groups participated in the protest.
Police later detained the protesters as a preventive measure during the demonstration and subsequently released them. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
