Karnataka political leaders blast Thackeray, protests erupt over his statement on border issue
Bengaluru: Protests erupted in parts of Karnataka on Monday including in the district headquarters city of Belagavi on Monday in a strong condemnation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's statement on the sensitive border issue.
Political leaders cutting across party lines came down heavily on Thackeray.
"There is no question of giving even an inch of land from Karnataka to Maharashtra.He should give up issuing statements just for political reasons," Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa told reporters on Monday.
"I am pained at Maharashtra Chief Ministers remarks that can disturb the prevailing harmonious atmosphere.I expect Shri Uddhav Thackeray, as a true Indian, to show his commitment and respect to the principles of federalism in letter and spirit," Yediyurappa said in a tweet.
Thackeray said on Sunday his government is committed towards incorporating into the state the areas of Karnataka where Marathi-speaking people are in majority.
This will be the "true tribute" to martyrs of the cause, the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) said in a tweet.
Maharashtra claims Belagavi (earlier called as Belgaum) and some other areas, part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency but currently in Karnataka, on linguistic grounds.
"Bringing Karnataka-occupied Marathi-speaking and cultural areas in Maharashtra will be the true tribute to those who accepted martyrdom in the boundary battle.We are united and committed towards it.Respects to the martyrs with this promise," the CMO tweeted.
Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending that the majority of population in these areas is Marathi-speaking.
On Monday, pro-Kannada organisations held demonstrations and burnt Thackeray's effigy in parts of the State.
A few pro-Marathi activists led by local units of Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti had organised the 'Martyrs Day' in Belagavi on Sunday.
They demanded merger of Belagavi, Karwar, Nippani, Bidar and Bhalki with Maharashtra.
Thackeray's statement came on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Yediyurappa along with his cabinet colleagues and BJP legislators were present in Belagavi bordering Maharashtra to commemorate the victory of BJP backed village panchayat members in the recent elections.
Yediyurappa added on Monday that the Marathi people have been living in harmony with Kannadigas in Karnataka. Likewise, Kannadigas living in the border districts of Maharashtra are living in harmony with the Marathi people there.
The Karnataka Chief Minister condemned Thackerays comments saying it can disrupt the peace and harmony among people.
Hitting out at Thackeray, former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah tweeted, "Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka.Don't try to instigate us by bringing up the issue which is already resolved."
Cautioning Thackeray not to politicise the issue which is already decided, Siddaramaiah reminded him that he is not just a Shiv Sena activist but also a responsible Chief Minister of a state.
Lashing out at Thackeray, JDS leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said, "Looking at his tweets, it appears like a statement issued by a terrorist."
In his tweets, Kumaraswamy likened Thackeray's statement with Chinese expansionism.
"Uddhav Thackeray's irresponsible statement that 'Karnataka occupied territories will be annexed to Maharashtra' sounds like Chinese expansionism.Such an expansionism will jeopardise the harmony among states formed on the linguistic ground," Kumaraswamy said in statement.
Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, state Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and several others condemned Thackeray's statement.
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Woman, 2 sons found dead in Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): Three members of a family were found dead inside their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji on Friday, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, officials said.
Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the premises to execute a court order related to possession of the property. When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door.
Inside, officers found Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons, Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), hanging from the ceiling, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said in a statement. All three were declared dead.
A handwritten note was recovered from the room, suggesting the family had been struggling with depression.
"The handwritten note indicates emotional distress faced by the family due to which the family may have taken the extreme step," the officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.
Residents of the neighbourhood said they were shocked to learn about the deaths, adding that the family kept largely to themselves.
Pankaj Kashyap, a resident of Girinagar, said he learnt about the deaths while leaving for work. "I live and work here and was leaving for work when I saw many people standing outside and talking. That is how I got to know that three people had committed suicide. I also saw several police vehicles outside, but I do not know much beyond that," he said.
Baldev, another neighbour, said the family had been living in the newly constructed house for around two years. "We only knew that a mother and her two children lived there. They had moved into the newly built house around two years ago. We did not interact much with them. Today we heard that all three have committed suicide, and whatever we know is based on what people here are saying," he said.
Another neighbour, Ramesh Kumar, claimed the family had earlier attempted suicide.
"About fifteen to twenty days ago, the two sons in the family had attempted suicide and police and ambulances had come. That was when I first got to know who they were. I do not recognise them by face, but we saw the ambulances and police take the two sons that day. Today again we saw ambulances and police arriving, so everyone came out to see what had happened. I do not know how long they had been living here, but this is all we know," he said.
Police said they are examining the family's financial condition, social circumstances, and other factors that may have contributed to the incident. Further investigation is underway.
