Belagavi belonged to Maha before Independence, says Min Laxmi Hebbalkar; stirs row

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka has strongly urged the resignation of Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Laxmi Hebbalkar, following her controversial statement asserting that the border district of Belagavi belonged to Maharashtra before Independence.

Hebbalkar made this statement during her participation in the Sixth Kannada Convention held at Karadga Village in Belagavi District on Sunday. While narrating the rich history of the Kannada language and the state of Karnataka, the minister’s assertion that Belagavi was part of Maharashtra before Independence sparked a significant controversy. The video of her statement has also gained widespread attention on various social media platforms. The BJP is now demanding accountability, calling for Hebbalkar’s resignation in light of the controversial remarks.

BJP MLA SR Vishwanath reacting to the controversial statement demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shunt Hebbalkar out of the Cabinet.

“Long ago, Belagavi was unified into the state of Karnataka. It is unfortunate that Minister Hebbalkar issued such a statement for vote bank politics. Hebbalkar has insulted 6.5 crore Kannada people. Belagavi belongs to Karnataka and that is why the government organises the Assembly session in Belagavi,” he said.

Former Dy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan stated that Karnataka was ruled by many kingdoms earlier and the state came into existence after unification.

“At this stage, there is no necessity to go backwards. This is a political statement which is not required at this point of time. Belagavi belongs to Karnataka and there should not be any political conspiracy in this regard. The statement by Minister Hebbalkar won’t get support either from Kannada or Maratha people,” he stated.

 

(With inputs from IANS)