Police detain Vatal Nagaraj, activists during protest in Belagavi

The Belagavi Police took into preventive custody Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj and other such activists on Thursday during a protest seeking a ban on Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and also, stop construction of a Smruti Bhavan in Hindalga village.

The police action came when the protestors tried to lay a siege to the Deputy Commissioner’s office here.

The police did not allow them to proceed further and took them into preventive custody. At one point of time, there was an altercation between the police and the activists and Mr. Nagaraj accused the police of being partisan.

They were let off later.

Earlier, speaking to presspersons, Mr. Nagaraj said that although successive governments have promised to look into the issue of banning the MES, none have taken any steps as politicians of the district are not interested in seeking ban on the anti-Kannada organisation.

To condemn the same, a State-wide agitation will be held on Saturday, he announced.

Mr. Nagaraj said that Suvarna Vidhana Soudha is being restricted to holding legislature session and urged the State government to send at least two Ministers to Belagavi district every week to hear public grievances.

He said that leaders in Belagavi belonging to different political parties have become slaves of Marathi speaking people and no serious steps have been taken to follow up the long-pending border row in the Supreme Court.

Mr. Nagaraj urged the government to chalk out a special programme for the development of Belagavi and issue a White Paper on the steps taken for its development so far.

He also urged the State government not to give permission for building Smruti Bhavan which is aimed at celebrating MES martyrs. Any permission will lead to strong protest, he warned.

Mr. Nagaraj said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should personally meet his counterpart in Maharashtra to get water released into the Krishna river course from Maharashtra.