JOIN USOfficials from Karnataka’s Department of Industries and Commerce (DIC), who were providing details of investment opportunities in the State, were allegedly abused, threatened and roughed up by Shiv Sena activists at Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Thursday.
On an invitation from Kolhapur Engineering Association (KEA), DIC officials from Belgaum had been to the Maharashtra town and were providing details of investment opportunities to the prospective investors at KEA office.
While DIC joint director A B Paraddi and deputy director T Siddanna were interacting with the prospective investors, Sena activists led by the party’s Kolhapur district unit president Sanjay Pawar allegedly barged into the meeting hall and raised slogans against Karnataka. They claimed that Belgaum was a part of Maharashtra.
The intruders reportedly said that they had “not permitted” the Karnataka officials to visit Maharashtra.
Following the ruckus, the DIC officials were forced to leave the venue and, they returned to Belgaum. KEA office bearers remained mute spectators. It is said that the foundry industry from Kolhapur is planning to shift to Karnataka on a big scale.
CM condemns incident
Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Friday condemned the roughing up of the State officials. He told reporters in Bankapur in Haveri district that such incidents cannot be tolerated and, the Maharashtra government should take stern action against the attackers.
Protests in Belgaum
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction) and Karnataka Navanirman Pade condemned the incident and staged demonstrations against the Sena Belgaum on Friday. They urged the state government to take up the issue with the Maharashtra government. The activists burnt an effigy of the Sena at Channamma Circle.