Belagavi soaks in Rajyotsava spirit; MES holds rally despite curbs

Grand procession, music, dance and sloganeering marked the 70th Rajyotsava celebrations in Belagavi. Over five lakh people gathered at the Rani Chennamma Circle to showcase Kannada pride and unity.

The celebrations started from Friday midnight and went on till Saturday midnight. After District Minister Satish Jarkiholi formally inaugurated Rajyotsava celebrations by garlanding  a statue of Rani Chennamma, huge crowds, mostly young people in Kannada colours - yellow and red, gathered at the circle and danced to iconic Kannada numbers.

Children dressed up as famous personalities in history, literature and tableaux depicting Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, Rani Chennamma, Abbakka Devi, Immadi Pulikeshi, Krishna, Hampi stone chariot, Halasi temple and Operation Sindoor, added colour to the celebrations.

Meanwhile, leaders and activists of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), wearing black shirts, took out a black day rally in the city. They went ahead with the rally despite the district administration denying permission. They raised the sloigan 'Samyukta Maharashtra Jhalach Pahije' (merger of Belagavi, Nippani, Bidar, Karwar with Maharashtra must happen).

MES leaders Manohar Kinekar, Ramakanth Konduskar, Prakash Shirolkar, Sarita Patil and Renu Killekar led the rally.

Interestingly, Belagavi Mahanagara Palike member Vaishali Bhatkande, who has identified herself with Congress, also took part in the rally.

The police detained more than 20 MES activists after they tried to barge into Maratha Mandir. The protesters were released later.

The MES has been demanding merger of several Marathi-speaking areas and villages, including Belagavi, Nippani, Khanapur, Karwar, Bidar, Bhalki, with Maharashtra.

Karnataka, however, maintains that the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per States Reorganisation Act and 1967 Mahajan commission report is final.