Maharashtra ministers sport black armbands, express solidarity with Marathi-speaking people of Belagavi

Maharashtra on Sunday reiterated its solidarity with the Marathi-speaking people of Belagavi district coinciding with Karnataka Rajyotsava.

The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi and opposition BJP both backed Marathi-speaking people of Belagavi and demanded the merger of 800-odd villages in Maharashtra.

A few ministers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government wore black ribbons to support the Marathi-speaking locals of Belagavi, who observed a 'Black Day.'

Last week, two ministers handling issues vis-a-vis Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary issue – Eknath Shinde and Chhagan Bhujbal, in an open letter to people of Belagavi, stated: "…The Marathi-speaking people of all religions and castes consider Maharashtra as its own…"

They said that the Maharashtra government is committed to education, social justice, conservation of Marathi language, transport infrastructure in 865 villages including Belagavi, Karwar, Nippani, Bidar and Bhalki. "We both are small soldiers of this movement to include these areas into Maharashtra which is indebted to the sacrifice and courage of the local Marathi population," they said.

In Kolhapur, Water Resources Minister and state NCP president Jayant Patil was seen sporting a black band on his arm. "We are with Marathi-speaking people and we express solidarity with our brethren," Patil said.

The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, that spearheads the campaign in Belagavi, is regularly in touch with Maharashtra's political spectrum in Mumbai.

The Maharashtra government also took objection to the statement of Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who had said that parts of Karnataka cannot be separated.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “This is a 60-year-old fight for the rights of the Marathi people. Their wish to be part of Maharashtra should be respected. If Kannada-speaking people on Karnataka-Andhra or Kerala borders wish to be part of Karnataka, their wishes too should be fulfilled,” he said.