<p>Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde has condemned the August 28 lathi-charge by police on Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi district in neighbouring Karnataka and demanded action.</p>.<p>The incident had occurred in Peeranwadi village when a section of people objected to the installation of a statue of an 18th-century warrior and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna.</p>.<p>They were opposed to the location where they wanted to install a statue of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.</p>.<p>Police had resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control.</p>.<p>In a letter dated August 28 addressed to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Shinde, who is Coordination Minister for matters related to the Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute, stated that Rayanna's statue was being erected in front of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.</p>.<p>"Marathi-speaking people are not opposed to installing the statue of the freedom fighter. But the statue (of Rayanna) is being deliberately erected close to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A demand was also made to rename Shivaji Maharaj Chowk where the statue stands," the Shiv Sena leader said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tension-over-installation-of-freedom-fighters-statue-in-karnataka-village-879310.html" target="_blank">Tension over installation of freedom fighter's statue in Karnataka village</a></strong></p>.<p>Shinde said the statue move was a deliberate attempt to create a Marathi-Kannada conflict.</p>.<p>"When Marathi-speaking people were protesting, they were brutally lathi-charged by the police," he stated.</p>.<p>Earlier, tension had prevailed in Mangutti village in Karnataka after the statue of the Maratha warrior king was removed.</p>.<p>"The Karnataka government should take action in this regard and ensure there is no Marathi-Kannada conflict," Shinde added.</p>.<p>Maharashtra and Karnataka have been locked in a bitter boundary dispute for decades, with the former demanding that villages with Marathi-speaking population in the southern state be merged with it.</p>
<p>Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde has condemned the August 28 lathi-charge by police on Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi district in neighbouring Karnataka and demanded action.</p>.<p>The incident had occurred in Peeranwadi village when a section of people objected to the installation of a statue of an 18th-century warrior and freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna.</p>.<p>They were opposed to the location where they wanted to install a statue of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.</p>.<p>Police had resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control.</p>.<p>In a letter dated August 28 addressed to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Shinde, who is Coordination Minister for matters related to the Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute, stated that Rayanna's statue was being erected in front of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.</p>.<p>"Marathi-speaking people are not opposed to installing the statue of the freedom fighter. But the statue (of Rayanna) is being deliberately erected close to the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. A demand was also made to rename Shivaji Maharaj Chowk where the statue stands," the Shiv Sena leader said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tension-over-installation-of-freedom-fighters-statue-in-karnataka-village-879310.html" target="_blank">Tension over installation of freedom fighter's statue in Karnataka village</a></strong></p>.<p>Shinde said the statue move was a deliberate attempt to create a Marathi-Kannada conflict.</p>.<p>"When Marathi-speaking people were protesting, they were brutally lathi-charged by the police," he stated.</p>.<p>Earlier, tension had prevailed in Mangutti village in Karnataka after the statue of the Maratha warrior king was removed.</p>.<p>"The Karnataka government should take action in this regard and ensure there is no Marathi-Kannada conflict," Shinde added.</p>.<p>Maharashtra and Karnataka have been locked in a bitter boundary dispute for decades, with the former demanding that villages with Marathi-speaking population in the southern state be merged with it.</p>