States » SouthPosted at: Oct 31 2026 2:00PM


Belagavi bars Shiv Sena (UBT), MES leaders from entering district on Rajyotsava

Belagavi, Oct 31 (UNI) The Belagavi district administration has barred Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leaders and Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) activists from entering the district on November 1, citing apprehensions of communal and linguistic tensions during Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations.
The prohibitory order, issued by Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Mohammed Roshan, will remain in force throughout November 1 under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
According to a police report submitted on October 30, Shiv Sena (UBT) Kolhapur district president Vijay Shamrao Devane was likely to enter Belagavi through the Nipani-Koganoli stretch of National Highway 48 along with around 25 MES and Shiv Sena activists.
The group was reportedly planning to participate in a proposed 'Black Day' programme to protest against the merger of Marathi-speaking areas, including Belagavi, with Karnataka following the reorganisation of states in 1956.
Police have warned that provocative speeches on the longstanding Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute could heighten tensions between Kannada- and Marathi-speaking communities, disturb public peace and potentially lead to damage to public and private property.
Apart from Devane, the entry restriction covers Sanjay Pawar, Sunil Modi, Sunil Shintre, Vishal Devkule and Manjit Mane, along with other accompanying MES and Shiv Sena activists.
The Deputy Commissioner has directed the Belagavi City Police Commissioner and the district Superintendent of Police to ensure strict implementation of the order.
The move comes amid the administration's preparations for elaborate Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations. At a preparatory meeting earlier this month, Roshan had made it clear that permission would not be granted for MES to organise a Black Day programme on November 1.
The administration has maintained that no activities capable of disturbing the state formation day celebrations would be permitted. It has also indicated that strict action would be taken against those violating prohibitory orders.
The MES has traditionally observed November 1 as a Black Day, demanding the merger of Belagavi and other Marathi-speaking areas with Maharashtra. The organisation has maintained that its movement is democratic and that it has the right to express its position on the border dispute.
The border dispute, which has remained unresolved for decades, continues to be a sensitive political issue between the two neighbouring states.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Belagavi bars Shiv Sena (UBT)# MES leaders from entering district on Rajyotsava
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