File photo of Belagavi Police and District Police at Karnataka-Maharashtra border.
Credit: Special Arrangement.
The District Administration has banned entry of three Maharashtra ministers and one MP in the district from October 31, 6 am to November 2, 6 am to prevent them from participating in the black day event of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) observed on November 1, opposing Karnataka Rajyotsava.
MES which has been demanding merger of Marathi speaking areas of the state with Maharashtra observes Karnataka Rajyotsava as black day in support of it's demand.
Recently leaders of MES had met Maharashtra Chief Minister Ekanath Shinde at Kolhapur and demanded that he send their representatives to take part in the black day event and reassure their support for the Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute.
Maharashtra ministers Shambhuraje Desai, Chandrakant Patil, Deepak Kesarkar and MP Dhairyasheel Mane were expected for the MES event.
Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil in orders issued has banned entry of the three ministers and MP to maintain law and order. They if visit Kannada activists could gherao them resulting in clashes with MES activists. Hence they have been banned from entering for 48 hours from October31, 6 am.