Belagavi: Police detain MES activists ahead of protest

Belagavi: Police thwarted the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti’s mega protest by detaining its leaders and members here on Monday.

As the 10-day Legislature session of Karnataka started in Belagavi, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti decided to stage a demonstration demanding the merger of the entire district with Maharashtra.

The MES and some political outfits in Maharashtra have been pressing for this demand on the ground that the district and a few other neighbouring areas of Karnataka have a substantial Marathi speaking population.

However, Karnataka has been rejecting the demand saying that the decision has already been taken decades ago.

Speaking to PTI, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti activist Suraj Kanbarkar said the police detained MES youth wing president Shubham Shelke, former MLA Manohar Kinekar, treasurer Prakash Marghale and MES councilor Shivaji Mandolkar.

Kanbarkar also said a few people from Maharashtra too tried to enter Karnataka but the Maharashtra police detained them entry.

He also alleged that the police removed the pandal, chairs and tables from the protest site at Vaccine Depot Ground in Tilakwadi in Belagavi after giving permission.