Security stepped up across Belagavi as 10-day Karnataka assembly session begins

BELAGAVI: Due to concerns about the border dispute with Maharashtra and potential disruptions from protests by various groups, Belagavi city has been put on high alert as the winter session of the Karnataka Legislature begins on Monday. The city has a heavy security presence, resembling a military cantonment.
Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, where the session is in progress appears like a barrack with policemen deployed all over the place.
According to police sources, nearly 5,000 policemen have been deployed for maintaining law and order in the city.
These policemen include six superintendents of police, 11 additional superintendents of police, 43 deputy SPs, 95 inspectors and 241 sub-inspectors, they added.
The sources also said there will be a sizeable number of policemen deployed at the Vaccine Depot ground where the Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti is staging a demonstration demanding merger of Belagavi with Maharashtra.
Some leaders from Maharashtra had wished to participate in the event. A Maharashtra MP Dhairyasheel Mane had even requested the Belagavi district administration to make arrangements for his visit to the city.
However, the district authorities imposed a ban on his entry saying that his possible inflammatory speech may create law and order problems.
Apart from the MES, various groups including farmers, are also staging demonstrations in Belagavi to press for their demands.
This session, which would be the last one of the current assembly, as the elections are barely four months away, may also see commotion inside the House with political parties trying to draw the attention of people with their protests, sources said.
There are many bills which is likely to be tabled and cleared in the current session.
A controversial anti-Halal bill may also be introduced in the session as a private bill by a BJP legislator, which may cause furore, the sources added.
MES workers protest seeking nod for Maha Melav
Members of Maharashtra Ekikarana Samithi (MES) on Monday staged a protest near Karnataka-Maharashtra border in Belgavi. It comes after Karnataka Police refused permission for the MES to hold Maha Melav against the commencement of winter session at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha by the government.
The MES, a political outfit, is fighting for the merger of Belagavi city into Maharashtra state and organises Maha Melav every time on the first day of the winter session. This time, the authorities have taken strict action and refused permission for the event.
Belagavi Police Commissioner Dr MB Boralingaiah had released curfew orders in the half kilometre stretch of the Vaccine Depot area of Tilakwadi to maintain law and order situation.