After MP Dhairyashil Mane, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress activists stopped at K'taka border, restrained from going to Belagavi

Nagpur: Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena MP Dhairyashil Mane from Hatkanangale constituency in Kolhapur district was today prohibited from entering Karnataka's Belagavi by the district administration. Mane was going to take part in an event organised by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), a committee working for merger of Belagavi in Maharahstra, on Monday.

Incidentally, Mr Mane was recently appointed by the state government on the expert committee regarding the writ petition in the Supreme Court on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute.

NCP, Sena leaders detained, activists stopped at border

After Mane was not allowed to enter the state, former minister and NCP legislator Hasan Mushrif, Shiv Sena’s Kolhapur district president Vijay Devane were detained and nearly 300 activists from the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena were stopped at the border. They were sent back by the Karnataka administration. Some of them were detained by the Maharashtra Police.

These party workers wanted to attend the massive protest organised by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti ahead of the winter session of the Karnataka assembly at Belagavi. 

There should be united Maharashtra with Belgaum: Mushrif

‘’On our way to support the Marathi speakers in Belgaum, we were lathicharged by the Karnataka Police while we were taking a peaceful march near the Kognoli toll gate. A representative of the people will be attacked like this,’’ said Mushrif. He further added, ‘’So we should think about how much injustice and torture is being done to Marathi speakers there. There should be a united Maharashtra with Belgaum, Bidar, Nippani, Karwar as soon as possible."

MPCC chief Nana Patole hits out at centre

State Congress chief Nana Patole strongly criticised the Centre over the border dispute and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was dividing India.

‘’The border issue is happening because of the central government. PM Modi wants to divide Maharashtra. Despite the meeting between both the Chief Ministers and Home Minister Mr Amit Shah, why are leaders not allowed to go there? This shows that the central government is behind this issue,’’ he said.

CM Shinde keeps mum

Chief Minister Mr Eknath Shinde did not speak on the Karnataka government’s move to prohibit Mane and other party leaders from visiting Belgavi. ‘’The issue is of Maharashtra pride and that the state has taken a strong stand on the issue,’’ he said. ‘’We are with our people and will provide anything required. We have told the Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai that whatever you are tweeting is not right, he said that that is not his Twitter handle,’’ he added.