Karnataka bans entry of 3 Maha ministers in Belagavi during Rajyotsava celebrations | Bengaluru
As a measure to maintain law and order within the district, the state government has announced a ban on the entry of three ministers from Maharashtra into Belagavi on Karnataka Rajyostava Day to be celebrated on November 1. The decision came in response to a call by a pro-Maharashtrian organization to observe a “black day” in protest against the exclusion of Belagavi and other Marathi-speaking regions from Karnataka and their inclusion in Maharashtra.
Deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil, who also serves as the district magistrate (DM), has prohibited the entry of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s cabinet members, including Chandrakanth Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, and Dairasheel Mane, as well as Kolhapur Shivasena MP Shamburaj Desai, from participating in the “black day” programs organized by pro-Maharashtrians.
“I have imposed a ban to the entry of Maharashtra ministers and asked the people to maintain law and order in the district. No one from Maharashtra will be allowed to take part in black day programmes in Belagavi or in any other parts of the district,” DC Nitesh Patil told reporters on Monday. “The permission to observe black day has been denied as the pro-Maharashtrian organisation MES has violated all the norms listed in the permission,” he added.
He said that reports from both state and central government intelligence agencies have suggested the potential for clashes in both Karnataka and Maharashtra if individuals from Maharashtra and government representatives were allowed to participate in the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) “black day” program. As a result, the Belagavi district administration has imposed the entry ban starting from Tuesday and extending until 6 AM on November 2.
Citing the information from intelligence departments, the DM has said the presence of these three leaders could be a trigger for attacks on the Maharashtra delegation by Kannada organisations. “The Maharashtra government was informed of this decision through ministerial channels to maintain protocol during ministers’ visits,” an officer familiar with the matter said.
Patil added that the speeches by Maharashtra representatives were expected to disrupt the existing peace in both states, which led to the entry ban.
In response to the Karnataka government’s denial of permission, Belagavi Taluk MES president and former legislator Manohar Kinekar expressed his discontent to HT. He said that this is another example of how Karnataka is infringing upon the rights of linguistic minorities, particularly the Marathi-speaking population in Belagavi. Kinekar emphasised, “We register our displeasure by observing Rajyostava day as a black day, even though no representatives from Maharashtra attended.” Kinekar represented the Belagavi Rural (formerly Uchagoan) constituency.
Belagavi police commissioner SN Siddaramappa and Belagavi superintendent of police Bhimashankar Guled, in their separate statements, defended the ban on the entry of Maharashtra leaders into the district, primarily Belagavi, as their speeches could incite disturbances in both states. They asserted, “No one from Maharashtra will be allowed to participate in black day programs in Belagavi or any other parts of the district.”
Kannada organisations applauded the government’s stance in imposing a ban on Maharashtra leaders and issued a warning against any outsiders attending anti-state programs. Deepak Gudadanatti, the president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayan Gowda faction) in Belagavi district, stated that the organisation will protest against any ‘outsiders’ found participating in the black day programs.
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