KPCC Leader Lakshmi Hebbalkar Faces Public Criticism for Her Support to Maha in Boarder Issue

Belagavi: A controversial statement by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) women’s unit president Lakshmi Hebbalkar has attracted yet another issue after she supported the merger of Belagavi with Maharashtra during a speech at Ganeshothsava Fest organised by a Marathi cultural organisation at her constituency in Belagavi on August 25.

Speaking in Marathi at the event, Hebbalkar reportedly said that, “Belagavi boarder issue is still pending before the Supreme Court. If Apex Court releases any order favoring Maharashtra to merge the district with it, then I support the court hoisting a flag representing the state Maharashtra.” The video of her Marathi speech has gone viral on the internet and various pro Kannada outfits in Belagavi and around Karnataka have condemned the statement.