Belagavi district administration on Monday barred Dhairyasheel Mane, Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena MP from Maharashtra, from visiting the district to participate in a Martyr’s day event organised by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), officials said on Tuesday.
Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil issued prohibitory orders under the criminal procedure code (CrPC) Section 144 on Tuesday, and police have increased the vigil, officials added.
Pro-Maharashtrian organisation MES fighting for the merger of Marathi-speaking places in Karnataka into Maharashtra since 1956, observe the Karnataka Rajyostava day on November 1 as ‘Black Day’ and January 17 as ‘Martyrs Day’ after five of its activists were killed on police firing in Belagavi and Nippani on the day in 1956.
According to police, the MP’s arrival was kept a secret by the MES. However, based on the intelligence inputs, the police were able to take action. Deputy commissioner of police (law and order) Ravindra Gadadi said the entry for MP Mane was prevented as there was the possibility of a breach of the law and order over his visit and address at the condolence meeting.
“Everyone has the right to visit any place in the nation without permission. However, those should not be allowed to enter the places identified as sensitive, which get troubled over their visit for which such must be prevented,” Gadadi said.
Soon after the intelligence inputs about the MP’s secret visit, Belagavi police commissioner MB Boralingaiah wrote to the deputy commissioner of Belagavi. Patil, who is also the district magistrate, then prohibited the Shiva Sena leader’s entry to the district in a late-night order.
To ensure there are no untoward incidents over the order, the additional police force was pressed at all the entry points to the district from Maharashtra, Gadadi said.
This was for the second time Mane was barred from entering the district as his visit was to meet with MES. He was prevented from entering Belagavi last month when MES organised the Mahamelava event in the city. MES had kept this visit a secret.
Madhu Bandhekar, Mahadev Bharagadi and Laxman Gavade were killed at the protest rally at the Water Purifying centre at Hindalga adjoining to Belagavi, and Kamalabayi Mohite and Gopal Chougale were killed in the protest at Nippani town on January 17, 1956. This day is celebrated as martyr’s day by the Marathi organisations in Belagavi.
MES City Block president Shubham Shelke condemned Karnataka for preventing MP Mane from visiting Belagavi to take part in the condolence meeting, saying it was yet another example of Karnataka dealing with Marathis in the state.
“Karnataka intentionally keeping Maharashtra leaders away from us as it doesn’t want us to be united again. First, it cancelled our programme ‘Mahamelava’, and now it prevented our sympathisers from meeting us. It’s nothing but injustice and atrocities against us. All such would be tabled before the Supreme Court when the border dispute was taken to board for hearing,” he said.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayangowda faction) office bearer Ganesh Rokhade appreciated Karnataka for imposing a ban on the entry of MP Mane as there could be a clash in Belagavi over his speech as the border city has not yet come out from the fear of riots occurred during the assembly winter session recently.
“MES is in a coma for which its sympathisers from Maharashtra are trying to give oxygen by their provoking speech, which is harmful to Karnataka. Earlier, it troubled the state a lot. Now it should not be given a boost to wake up again. The step government initiated was appreciated,” he said
