Shiv Sena (UBT) Urges Central Government to Administer Disputed Belagavi Border Areas
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Mumbai, Dec 9 (NationPress) With tensions escalating regarding the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has urged the Central Government to officially recognize the disputed areas in and around Belagavi (formerly known as Belgaum) as a Union Territory on Monday.
The Group Leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), Aditya Thackeray, expressed his concerns regarding the treatment of the Marathi-speaking population in the Belagavi region, as the border conflict remains unresolved.
“Currently, there is a Bharatiya Janata Party government both in the state and at the Centre. Why is there no resolution to this issue? Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take immediate action to ensure that justice is served for our Marathi community there,” Thackeray stated.
He highlighted that the Karnataka government not only denied permission for a Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) conference in Belagavi but also restricted leaders from Maharashtra from traveling to the area. Furthermore, local authorities enforced a curfew.
“Access to the borders is being restricted. Belgaum is, and will always remain, a core part of our Marathi identity. We vehemently condemn this injustice against the Marathi populace there. I urge the Karnataka government to address this matter promptly,” Thackeray added during a media briefing outside the Assembly.
He also sent a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, requesting his swift intervention and the involvement of the Central Government to resolve the issue in favor of the Marathi residents.
Thackeray asserted that the welfare of Maharashtra and its Marathi citizens is paramount, and the Central Government must bring all disputed territories under its jurisdiction, lamenting what he described as a decline in the rights and freedoms of the Marathi-speaking individuals in those regions.
Notably, for the past three years, Karnataka has continuously denied the MES permission to conduct its annual convention in Belagavi, citing concerns over potential law-and-order issues. Appeals from Maharashtra leaders to partake in the event have also been rejected.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has accused Karnataka of increasing police presence at border checkpoints, railway stations, and nearby airports to obstruct Maharashtra leaders from entering Belagavi, which serves as the second capital of Karnataka after Bengaluru.
Representing the interests of the Marathi community in the border areas, the MES organizes regular events, including its annual convention during the winter session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly held in Belagavi.
Belagavi, which was renamed from Belgaum in 2014, has been a point of contention between the two states for many decades. The M.C. Mahajan Commission delivered its recommendations in 1966 to address the issues, yet the disputes over territorial and administrative claims continue to linger.
As leaders from various political factions, including the ruling MahaYuti and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), condemned the ongoing situation, a group of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and activists were barred from crossing the border to reach Belagavi.
Maharashtra claims rights over Belagavi, Karwari, Nipani, and Bidar, along with 814 other border villages, all predominantly Marathi-speaking, and seeks their integration into Maharashtra. This matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
