Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday urged his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde not to send his ministers to visit Belagavi as that could disrupt the law-and-order situation in the border district.
“It is not right for the Maharashtra ministers to come even after our chief secretary said this in writing. It’ll create a law-and-order problem. We won’t accept it,” Bommai said.
Maharashtra ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai are slated to visit Belagavi to speak to the Marathi-speaking people in the border district.
We know anybody can go anywhere in this country. But, the government has powers to take measures to maintain law-and-order,” Bommai said.
Bommai said he has already instructed police and senior officials concerned to take appropriate legal action if Maharashtra ministers make the 'adventure' of visiting.
"We will not hesitate to take appropriate actions like those taken during similar situations earlier, and all possible steps will be taken," he said when asked if prohibitory orders would be clamped.
Addressing Shinde, Bommai said: “This is not the right action. The border dispute has been resolved. Still, you’ve gone to the Supreme Court. Let’s fight the legal battle without troubling people who are living happily and harmoniously.”
Maharashtra has, on linguistic grounds, laid claim on Belagavi (Belgaum), a part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency that is currently one of Karnataka’s largest districts.
Action against ‘Join CFI’ graffiti
Bommai said the police have already acted against graffiti in Shivamogga urging citizens to join the banned Campus Front of India (CFI). “These kinds of writings on the walls are desperate acts after such organisations were banned. They want to create confusion in society, which I condemn. We will take prompt action,” Bommai said.