Amid tensions over the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra, ink was thrown at a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Bengaluru on Wednesday night. Following which large gatherings were banned in Belagavi due to tension. In view of the increasing tension, the Karnataka government has imposed Section 144 in Belagavi from 6 am on Saturday morning.
Security has been tightened and additional forces have been deployed in sensitive areas. There has been a demand to merge Belagavi with Maharashtra on the basis that a large number of Marathi speaking people live in this area.
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Pro-Maharashtra activists protested in Belagavi’s Sambhaji Circle last night and demanded the arrest of those who threw ink on Shivaji statue. The protest turned violent and over a dozen government vehicles were damaged in stone pelting.
Also, a statue of freedom fighter Sangoli Rayanna in Belagavi was damaged last night, raising tension in the area.
