State president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat Dr Mahesh Joshi said that he will recommend an amicable settlement between the two groups that clashed in Belagavi.
Joshi told reporters that it is unfortunate that Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) is behaving badly.
He is visiting Belagavi in the hopes of achieving harmony rather than encouraging discord. The committee will be led by Magistrate S R Bannur, who is fluent in Marati and Kannada, and Lieutenant General Ramesh.
He recollected that MES was involved in two riots in a span of five years.
Burning the Kannada flag is a heinous crime that must be prevented at all costs. The vandalism of the Sangolli Rayanna statue should be condemned because it is an act of disrespect to freedom fighters, he said.
"Shivaji is a patriotic hero for all people, not just Marathi people," he added.
He warned that if the government remains silent, the Parishat will launch an intense protest.
Published 20 December 2021, 16:47 IST