No Union Territory status for Belagavi: Centre in Lok Sabha

BELAGAVI:  The Centre’s clarification in the Lok Sabha that there is no proposal to name Belagavi as a Union Territory, has come as a major embarrassment for the Maharashtra government, which has time and again pressured the Centre to give UT status to Belagavi and adjoining areas.In its editorial on March 16, Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna had demanded UT status for Belagavi, alleging that atrocities were being perpetrated on Maratha people in the so-called ‘Marathi-majority’ border areas of Karnataka. The editorial also wanted the Maharashtra government to take a delegation to the Prime Minister, to put a halt to the alleged attacks on Marathas.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had tweeted a few weeks ago, underlining the need for the merger of “Marathi-majority’’ areas of Karnataka into Maharashtra. Responding to Maharashtra’s repeated claims to mark Belagavi as a Union Territory until the boundary dispute case in the Supreme Court is disposed of, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, in a written answer in the Lok Sabha, said that some people and organisations have demanded this at regular intervals, but the government did not consider such proposals.

For the past week, bus services between Karnataka and Maharashtra via Belagavi were banned, in the wake of blackening of Kannada and Marathi signboards by Shiv Sena and Kannada activists in the border areas. Sena activists had allegedly halted KSRTC buses in Kolhapur and pasted ‘Jai Maharashtra’ stickers on the windshields, while Kannada activists had retaliated by blackening Marathi signboards in Belagavi.

Noted Kannada activist Ashok Chandargi said it is the Shiv Sena’s ploy to target the BJP by appealing to former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to prevail upon the BJP leadership to get UT status for Belagavi, as the saffron party is in power at the Centre and in Karnataka. “The Sena is aware that the Centre will not meddle in the boundary case. It will target Fadnavis and BJP for not doing anything to get UT status for Belagavi,’’ he added.