MES to organise Maha Melava on first day of winter session

Officers say all peaceful protests will be allowed

Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti plans to organise a Maha Melava rally in Belagavi on the first day of the winter session of the State legislature on December 9. MES leaders submitted a memorandum to the State government through the district administration, seeking permission for the rally.

MES is a city-based political party that has been demanding the merger of all Marathi-speaking areas like Belagavi and parts of Karwar and Bidar districts, with Maharashtra. It organises a Black Day on Karnataka Rajyotsava on November 1, and a Maha Melava to coincide with the start of the winter session.

Manohar Kinekar, former MLA and MES leader, said that some leaders from Maharashtra including MPs and Ministers will be invited to the rally. He said that they had decided to organise the rally even if the State government denied them permission. “Marathi speakers have been suffering injustice at the hands of the Karnataka government. Our long-pending demands for merger of Marathi-speaking areas with Maharashtra still remains strong. We have been organising the Maha Melava since the Karnataka government began holding the winter session in Belagavi,” he said.

Vikas Kalaghatagi, MES public relations officer, said successive State governments had declined their demands for providing all government documents in Marathi. Leaders like Ranjit Chauhan, Prakash Maragale, Maloji Ashtekar and Ramachandra Modagekar have signed the memorandum.

R. Hitendra, Additional Director General of Police, who visited Belagavi to oversee security arrangements for the session, said all peaceful protests would be allowed.

Published - November 29, 2024 10:51 pm IST