Baig: Law soon against anti-Karnataka leaders

The state government will enact a new law to disqualify “anti-Karnataka” elected representatives, Urban Development Minister R Roshan Baig announced here on Tuesday.

He condemned the “anti-Karnataka” stand of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti-backed corporators in Belagavi. Representing Karnataka but working against its interests is “unacceptable”, he said and dismissed the protest by Shiv Sena workers against his statement. “They should remember that we all belong to one country. Karnataka will write to Maharashtra to stop attacks on its buses in that state,” he added.

Baig said the state government had been monitoring the activities of the corporators and other elected representatives. He said a proper legislation would set right such issues. The MES wants the merger of Belagavi district with Maharashtra.
The minister’s statement drew an immediate response from pro-Maharashtra elected representatives, besides a violent reaction from Shiv Sena workers. MES-backed corporator and former mayor of Belagavi, Sarita Patil, criticised Baig and dared the state government to take action against her.

Saraswati Patil, a member of Belagavi Zilla Panchayat, and Raju Pavale, a member of Yellur Gram Panchayat, posted videos on social media raising pro-Maharashtra slogans and challenging Karnataka to act against them. The videos have gone viral. Shiv Sena workers spray-painted ‘Jai Maharashtra’ slogans on North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) buses entering and leaving Kolhapur and Gadhinglaj bus stands.

NWKRTC officials confirmed that several buses were spray-painted but said there was no damage to the vehicles. Bus traffic was not affected either.