Maharashtra Ministers skip Belagavi visit
The Hindu
Devendra Fadnavis says visit postponed, not cancelled; KRV activists, stopped from entering Belagavi, stage protest
The two Maharashtra Ministers, who had declared that they would visit Belagavi to hold meetings with Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) leaders, skipped their visit on Tuesday even as the Deputy Commissioner of Belagavi had banned their entry.
At the same time, the police prevented the entry of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists into the city. Enraged by this, the activists, who wanted to enter Belagavi to protest the visit of Maharashtra Ministers, resorted to a stir on the national highway and stoned three vehicles.
A team from Maharashtra comprising Ministers Chandrakant (Dada) Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, besides Dhairyasheel Mane, MP, had announced that they would visit Belagavi on Tuesday, hold meetings with MES leaders and visit houses of those the MES considers martyrs for Marathi cause. However, they skipped the visit. This is being seen as a response to the appeal by Karnataka that their visit would be inappropriate at this time.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had earlier said their visit at this juncture was inappropriate. Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil had even issued prohibitory orders, barring the three leaders from entering Belagavi district.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said the visit was postponed due to Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Divas. “No one can stop them if they want to go. We are not afraid of going to Belagavi. The Constitution allows any Indian citizen to travel anywhere in the country,” he told Marathi TV channels in Mumbai. This was criticised by the NCP leaders who said the Ministers lacked the courage to visit Belagavi.
The Belagavi police stopped a large number of KRV activists, led by its president T.A. Narayana Gowda, at Hire Bagewadi village on the city’s outskirts.
Angered by this, KRV activists began a protest on the national highway, stopping vehicles. Mr. Gowda alleged that police had assaulted Kannada activists.
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