E-Paper
NCP legislator stopped at Maharashtra-Karnataka border
The members led by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Hasan Mushrif alleged that they were caned by the Karnataka police on Dudhganga Bridge
Some Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders enroute to attend a function of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti in Belgaum were allegedly prevented from entering into Karnataka on Monday amid border row escalation
The members led by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Hasan Mushrif alleged that they were caned by the Karnataka police on Dudhganga Bridge.
The Kolhapur police have denied the claims made by the NCP leader and pro-Marathi activists.
Shailesh Balkawade, superintendent of police (SP), Kolhapur, denied of any force use or detention of the NCP protestors.
“Some people started gathering at the border since morning and as they were prevented from entering Karnataka, they sat there for some time. They wanted the Maharashtra police to detain them and since we did not take any action, they dispersed off on their own,” he said.
Mushrif and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) leader Vijay Devane, Congress city unit president Satish Chavan and hundreds of supporters were stopped, lathicharged by the Karnataka police when they tried to cross the border. The incident led to an acrimonious standoff between political leaders, their supporters and police leading to tension for over one and a half hours, the protestors claimed.
The police closed one way traffic of the state highway to bring the situation under control. Later, the Maharashtra Police asked the protestors to sit in a police van. Activists raised slogans that Nippani, Kagal, Bidar and Bhalki should become part of the united Maharashtra. Mushrif alleged that he was lathicharged by the Karnataka police.
“After the incident, we raised slogans against the Karnataka government for its atrocities against Maharashtra and pro-Marathi people of the state. We gave speeches after the lathicharge incident and were brought back in police vans and let off by the Maharashtra Police. We won’t go back on our demands, but will visit Belgaum. Marathi language and the state people have been given stepmotherly treatment. The Karnataka government has summoned the military for assistance in Belgaum. The dictatorship of the Karnataka government will not be tolerated,” he said.
Devane said, “The Karnataka police physically assaulted Maharashtrian leaders and activists. They were aided by the state police and we condemn their action on peaceful protestors.”
The state police said that a huge crowd had gathered near the Karnataka-Maharashtra border days after Union home minister Amit Shah took up the matter with chief ministers of both the states - Eknath Shinde and Basavaraj Bommai.
Maharashtra claims Belgaum which is currently under Karnataka government and nearby areas as parts of the state, citing a large proportion of Marathi-speaking population. The long-standing dispute came back to focus after the Karnataka chief minister claimed that some villages in Maharashtra’s Sangli district had passed a resolution to join the southern state due to lack of basic facilities.
