BELAGAVI/MUMBAI:
The alleged desecration of Maratha warrior king Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Bengaluru caused a snowball effect with vandals targeting freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna’s statue in Belagavi and Karnataka and Maharashtra locked horns yet again on Saturday.
While Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai condemned the untoward incidents and ordered action against culprits, his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop ”Kannada atrocities” and the ”pervert mindset.” Also, Thackeray asked Karnataka to act immediately over the alleged incident. The ruling Shiv Sena and other organisations staged protests in Maharashtra.
Amid reports of attack and defacement of vehicles with Karnataka registration in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said it is the duty of the neighbouring state to maintain law and order and prevent such incidents.
Following the alleged desecration of the Maratha king’s statue, miscreants in Belagavi shouted slogans and pelted government vehicles with stones and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna’s statue was subsequently vandalised.
Police sources said so far 27 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents.
Also Read: Karnataka Home Secretary and DG to speak to MH counterparts on safety of Kannadigas: CM
With Belagavi playing host to the winter session of Karnataka legislature, police promulgated prohibitory order to prevent untoward incidents and maintain law and order.
The decades old border dispute over Belagavi between the two states is seen as the undercurrent that connected the untoward incidents and its fallout.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters, ”Shivaji Maharaj, Sangolli Rayanna, Kittur Chennamma are fighters, who fought for the country, in their name, if we start fighting and dividing, it will be a disservice to them. Any responsible person should not incite people to violence and take law and order into their hands.” Bommai was responding to a question on Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s tweet calling Maratha people to unite over the alleged desecration.
“ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಭಕ್ತರ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಗೆ ಭಂಗ ತರುವುದು ಸರಿಯಲ್ಲ. ದೇಶಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ತ್ಯಾಗ ಮಾಡಿದವರನ್ನು ಗೌರವಿಸಬೇಕು. ನಾಡಿಗೆ ಹೋರಾಡಿದವರ, ತ್ಯಾಗ ಮಾಡಿದವರ ಗೌರವ ಉಳಿಸಬೇಕು. ಸಮಾಜದಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಷೋಭೆ ಉಂಟುಮಾಡುವುದು ಸರಿಯಲ್ಲ. ಕೆಲವೇ ಕೆಲವು ಪುಂಡರು ಇಂತಹ ದುಷ್ಕೃತ್ಯ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದು, ಅವರನ್ನು ಸದೆಬಡಿಯುತ್ತೇವೆ” : ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSBommai. (2/2)
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 18, 2021
The Karnataka CM said factors including the timing of the incident, ”several other factors including the timing of incident when the legislature session is on, will all be part of the investigation.”
Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said,”Police have been asked to see to it that such incidents don’t repeat. Both Marathi and Kannada speaking people are living peacefully in Belagavi, but some miscreants are trying to disturb and vitiate the atmosphere.”
ಸಂಗೊಳ್ಳಿ ರಾಯಣ್ಣ ಹಾಗೂ ಶಿವಾಜಿ ಮಹಾರಾಜ್ ದೇಶದ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ಪ್ರತೀಕ. ಪ್ರತಿ ನಾಗರಿಕರು ಗರ್ವದಿಂದ ನೆನೆಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತಹ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಪುತ್ರರು ಇವರು. ಈ ಮಹನೀಯರ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲ ಕಿಡಿಗೇಡಿಗಳು, ದುಷ್ಕೃತ್ಯ ನಡೆಸಿ ಸೌಹಾರ್ದತೆ ಕೆಡಿಸುವ ಕೃತ್ಯಗಳು ಅಕ್ಷಮ್ಯ ಅಪರಾಧ. ಈ ವಿಚಾರದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಶಾಂತಿ ಕಾಪಾಡಬೇಕೆಂದು ಕೋರುತ್ತೇನೆ. (2/2)
— Araga Jnanendra (@JnanendraAraga) December 18, 2021
ಕೆಲ ದಿನಗಳಿಂದ ಬೆಳಗಾವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲ ಪುಂಡರು ಶಾಂತಿ ಕದಡುವ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಇಂತಹ ಕೃತ್ಯ ಮಾಡುವವರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಮುಲಾಜಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕೆಂದು ಪೊಲೀಸರಿಗೆ ಸೂಚಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರರನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಯಾರೂ ಕ್ಷುಲ್ಲಕ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಮಾಡಬಾರದು. ಇದನ್ನು ನಮ್ಮ ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಸಹಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.@BSBommai pic.twitter.com/Bmnqmps3e5
— Araga Jnanendra (@JnanendraAraga) December 18, 2021
Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena, said Shivaji Maharaj is the ”deity” of not only Maharashtra but of the entire country, adding any disrespect and insult to the founder of the Maratha empire would not be tolerated.
Further the Maharashtra CM said, ”PM Modi should direct the Karnataka government to take action in the matter. This incident (alleged desecration of the statue) cannot be taken lightly. For several years, Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka are facing atrocities. Now, the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is desecrated,” he said in a statement.
Also Read: Maha CM seeks PM’ intervention over alleged desecration of Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Bengaluru
”It should be kept in mind that hurting the Marathi pride will prove costly. The Centre should give up double standards and take stern steps,” he said.
तसेच कर्नाटकातील मराठी जनतेवरील कानडी अत्याचार थांबवून या हिणकस, विकृत मनोवृत्तीचा बीमोड करण्यासाठी पंतप्रधानांनी स्वतः लक्ष घालून तेथील राज्य शासनाला त्वरित संबंधितांवर कडक कारवाई करण्यास सांगावे, अशा तीव्र शब्दांत मुख्यमंत्र्यांनी भावना व्यक्त केल्या.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) December 18, 2021
”PM Modi had said in Varanasi that whenever India’s culture was crushed, warrior kings like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj have risen. But just a few days after Modi’s remarks, Shivaji Maharaj’s statue is attacked in Karnataka which is ruled by BJP. Instead of taking action, the voice of the Marathi people is being suppressed. This is condemnable,” Thackeray said.
NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said BJP had used Shivaji Maharaj only for its election campaign.
”Maharashtra will not tolerate the insult of the warrior king,” said Bhujbal, who is also the coordinating minister for the Marathi-dominated border areas in Karnataka.
”The Karnataka government started holding a legislature session in Belgaum to claim its right over the city,” he said, adding that ”moves” of the Karnataka government against Marathi people would never succeed.
”We will win the fight on the streets and in courts (over the inclusion of Marathi-speaking areas in Maharashtra),” he said While the pronunciation is ‘Belagavi’ in Karnataka, it is ‘Belgaum’ in Maharashtra.
Former Karnataka Chief Ministers B S Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah, H D Kumaraswamy, state Congress chief D K Shivakumar condemned the untoward incidents and sought action against the miscreants and appealed to people to maintain peace.
ಬೆಳಗಾವಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ತಡರಾತ್ರಿ ವಿವಿಧ ಸಂಘಟನೆಗಳ ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಕಿಡಿಗೇಡಿಗಳು ಕಲ್ಲು ತೂರಾಟ, ಪುಂಡಾಟಿಕೆ ನಡೆಸಿರುವುದು ಖಂಡನೀಯ. ದುಷ್ಕರ್ಮಿಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಪೊಲೀಸರು ಕ್ರಮ ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು. ಪ್ರಚೋದನೆ, ಪುಂಡಾಟಿಕೆಗೆ ಅವಕಾಶ ನೀಡದೆ, ಕಾನೂನು ಸುವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಕಾಪಾಡಲು ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಎಲ್ಲ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸುತ್ತೇನೆ.
— B.S. Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) December 18, 2021
