Belagavi: Pro-kannada activists try to hoist Kannada flag, cops stop them

Belagavi: A group of pro-Kannada activists staged a flash protest here after the city police stopped them from hoisting a Kannada flag in front of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) office on December 28.

The Corporation was housed in old premises where a saffron flag used to be hoisted with the national flag. However, recently the head office moved to new premises and a flag pole was installed on which only the national flag is hoisted.

Activists like Kasturi Bhavi and Srinivas Talukar among others raised slogans against the State government, elected representatives, and police officers for not supporting the flag hoisting on the BCC premises.

The agitators claimed that the Marathas backed by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) have dominated the city corporation for decades and even hoisted a saffron flag at the corporation.

The pro-Kannada activists also threatened to end their lives if the flagpost was removed.

Defending the protestors, Belagavi Rural MLA and KPCC spokesperson Laxmi Hebbalkar claimed that there is nothing wrong in hoisting Kannada flag in the BCC.