Border row: Shiv Sena wants Belagavi to be declared Union Territory
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said Belagavi should be declared as a Union Territory, alleging that atrocities on Marathi-speaking people by pro-Kannada outfits were continuing there.
An editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' alleged that a pro-Kannada organisation recently beat up Marathi people in Belagavi, removed Marathi boards from shops there and also targeted pro-Marathi social media users.
The Karnataka police were also harassing Marathi people, it claimed.
"If the atrocities are not going to stop, then the Centre should declare Belagavi as a Union Territory," it said.
Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending the majority of population in these areas is Marathi- speaking.
The dispute between the two states over Belagavi and other border areas is pending before the Supreme Court for many years.
The editorial in 'Saamana' requested Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis to up take the issue with the Centre and Karnataka chief minister.
There are Marathi people in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Vadodara (Gujarat) also. But, they never had any clashes with locals, the publication said.
It also said people speaking different languages have been residing in Maharashtra for so many years and that Marathi people never treated them badly.
"The way the BJP government in Karnataka is handling the atrocities committed on the Marathi community by locals, it seems to be encouraging such miscreants," the Sena alleged.
It is "illegal" to treat Marathi-speaking people in such a way when the boundary dispute issue is pending before the Supreme Court, the editorial said.
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IPL 2024: RCB qualifies for playoffs, beats Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs
Bengaluru: The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have qualified for the playoffs of IPL 2024 after defeating the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 27 runs in a thrilling match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
RCB, captained by South African cricketer Faf du Plessis, emerged victorious in this crucial match to secure their spot in the playoffs. However, the lost match is tragically significant to Chennai Super Kings' key player M S Dhoni, for whom it is believed to be the last IPL season.
