Belagavi faces renewed tensions over mandatory Kannada signboards ahead of Ganeshotsav
The situation escalated after personnel from Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) removed a Marathi-only signboard put up by a Ganeshotsav Mandal at Patil Galli near Shani Mandal on Friday. In defiance, the Mandal reinstalled the board on Saturday and called upon other Mandals to follow suit, intensifying the standoff. All this occurred on the day when the border in-charge minister, HK Patil, was in Belagavi.
After BCC personnel removed the board of the Ganeshotsav Mandal on Friday evening at Patil Galli, the situation was tense.
On Saturday, the office bearers of various Ganesh Mandals visited city police commissioner Bhushan Borase to detail the situation. They cautioned that it was the board welcoming the public for Ganeshotsav. Targeting such boards just because they are in the Marathi language does not send a good message and may also impact the upcoming Ganesh festival in the city, where more than 370 mandals install Ganesh idols in public places for 11 days.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Price May Surprise You)
Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads
Search Now
Undo
Responding to them, police commissioner Borase mentioned holding discussions with the BCC commissioner in this regard.
This is not the first incident in the past fortnight on linguistic grounds. The controversy started simmering since the visit of Kannada Development Authority (KDA) chairman, Purushottam Bilimale, to Belagavi city a fortnight ago. During the meeting with Bilimale, the leaders of Kannada outfits appreciated the govt officials who achieved 80% success in Kannada implementation on the signboards in the city according to the govt guidelines.
They demanded achieving 100% success. Accordingly, the KDA head instructed the officials to put in efforts to achieve 100% success.
Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) strongly opposed the statement of the KDA chief and submitted a memorandum to the district minister Satish Jarkiholi and DC Mohammad Roshan, urging them to stop targeting Marathi boards in the city. Meanwhile, at the demand of Kannada outfits, Kannada number plates were installed on the cars of BCC mayor Mangesh Pawar and deputy mayor Vani Vilas Joshi, which was also opposed by the MES members.
After that, mayor Mangesh Pawar stopped using the BCC car. However, the police found a middle way and installed number plates with both English and Kannada numbers.
The linguistic controversy also resonated in the BCC Council meeting held on Saturday, with the MES member demanding BCC documents in the Marathi language. Condemning the demand, Kannada outfits tried to enter the meeting hall in protest. The Kannada outfits also raised the issue with minister HK Patil during an interaction on Saturday. The series of incidents have helped the Marathi outfits to organise and fight back.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"If Cow Statue Can Enter Parliament, Why Not A Living Cow?": Shankaracharya
Mumbai: Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand has said that a cow should have been taken into the new Parliament building at Central Vista during its inauguration. "If a statue of a cow can enter Parliament, why can't a living cow be taken inside?" he asked reporters on Sunday. The seer said the Sengol held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while entering the new Parliament building showed a cow engraved on the sceptre. "A real cow should have also been taken into the building to bestow blessings. If there is a delay, we will take cows from all over the country and bring them to Parliament," he said, adding this would ensure the PM and the building receive blessings of a real cow. The Sengol is installed in the Lower House of the Parliament. He also demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately frame a protocol on cow felicitation. "The state has not yet declared how to honour the cow. It should finalise a protocol so that people can follow it, and also fix penalties for its violation," he said. The Shankaracharya demanded that every assembly constituency in India have a "Ramadham" — a cow shelter accommodating 100 cows. "A total of 4,123 Ramadhams will be built across the country. The shelters will focus on daily cow service, protection, and promoting indigenous breeds," he added. Those following the protocol while caring for cows would be financially rewarded. "A person taking care of 100 cows will receive Rs 2 lakh per month," he added. The Hindu pontiff further said that the Dharma Sansad has passed a congratulatory resolution in support of Hoshangabad MP Darshan Singh Chowdhary, who has demanded that the cow be declared as Rashtramata (Mother of the Nation). The Shankaracharya said people should support only those candidates who protect cows and work for legislation in their interest. "The present regime has not yet satisfied us. Cow slaughter must be completely stopped in India," he added. Addressing the language controversy, he said, "Hindi was first recognised for administrative use. The Marathi-speaking state was formed in 1960, and Marathi was recognised later. Hindi represents several dialects — the same applies to Marathi, which has borrowed from its dialects." The seer said any violence should be treated as a criminal offence. He demanded justice in the Malegaon blast case, stating that the real culprits must be punished. "It is ridiculous that the government is celebrating Amrit Kaal while cows who provide us with milk are being slaughtered. Those in government cannot be called our brothers unless they stand in support of cows," he said. PTI ND NSK ARU
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
After CM's Push, MP Dhanorkar Follows Up on Inclusion of 14 Disputed Villages into Maharashtra
Chandrapur: Days after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis issued directives for the inclusion of 14 disputed villages from Jiwati tehsil under Maharashtra's jurisdiction, the matter has gained further momentum with Chandrapur MP Pratibha Dhanorkar raising the issue at the central level. A delegation led by Dhanorkar met Union minister Bhupender Yadav in Delhi and urged immediate resolution of the decades-old border dispute. She pointed out that despite a 1997 Supreme Court ruling, the issue remains unresolved, with official demarcation and land record integration still pending. The 14 villages—including Antapur, Padmavati, Indiranagar, Palsaguda, Yesapur, Bhelapathar, Lendiguda, and others—lie along the Maharashtra-Telangana border and have long been caught in administrative ambiguity. The Telangana administration continues to exert parallel control, leaving thousands of Marathi-speaking residents in limbo. MP Dhanorkar stressed the need for urgent coordination between the Centre and the state to formally bring the villages under Maharashtra's administrative fold. Doing so, she said, would unlock development potential and restore rightful governance. The Union minister assured a prompt and positive resolution. During the meeting, Dhanorkar also flagged the issue of 8,649 hectares in Jiwati tehsil wrongly classified as forest land. As per joint reports by the local tehsildar and forest officials, the land does not meet the criteria for forest status. However, due to administrative delays, local farmers have been deprived of land rights and access to government schemes. Calling the misclassification a serious impediment to rural welfare, Dhanorkar requested the Union government's intervention to expedite the de-notification process. With both the state and Centre now actively engaged, hopes are high that the longstanding issues affecting Jiwati's border villages will finally be resolved.
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Indian Express
BJP MLC's ‘father of Sena' remark draws ire of Shinde's party: ‘Apologise within 12 hours'
In a fresh instance of trouble between the ruling Mahayuti allies, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena demanded an apology 'within twelve hours' from BJP MLC Parinay Phuke who mentioned that he was the 'father' of Sena. Phuke made the remarks at a party function held in Bhandara district Monday, where he was speaking about Bhandara District Central Cooperative Bank elections. The Shiv Sena had blamed the BJP leader for its election loss. ' Whenever every student does well the credit goes to his mother or him. But then things don't blame it pushed on the father… I have come to understand that I am the father of Shiv Sena,' Phuke said in Marathi, referring to the Sena's accusations against him. Responding to the remarks, the Shinde Sena has demanded an apology from Phuke. 'We will not tolerate such irresponsible statements from BJP's Parnay Phuke and he should apologise within twelve hours. Or else we will be forced to respond in Shiv Sena style,' Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Kumbhalkar said. Earlier, a senior Shinde Sena minister said, ' The Shiv Sena has only one father Bal Thackeray. Nobody can take his place. And certainly not Phuke. Therefore, BJP leadership should reprimand their members who make such irresponsible statements and hurt the sentiments of Sena.' Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Phuke's remark was being distorted and misunderstood. 'Phuke's remark should be seen in the right context. He did not mean it,' Fadnavis told mediapersons in Mumbai. This is the second instance of a BJP legislator landing in controversy in a span of few days. On Sunday, a video surfaced in which Minister of State Meghana Bordikar from BJP was seen threatening to slap a gram sevak. Explaining her action, Bordikar, the two-time MLA from Jintur, said, 'I expressed my anger at a function where zilla parishad officials were present. One particular gram sevak was not taking the welfare schemes being implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the poor people. He was creating hurdles.' 'I lost my cool because the women labourers had complained to me about the harassment from the gram sevak,' she had said.
