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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday criticised the Karnataka government for denying permission to 'Marathi Ekikaran Samiti' to hold their conference in the state.
Mr Shinde accused the Siddaramaiah government of "repressing" the Maratha community by arresting several leaders.
Speaking to the media, Mr Shinde said, "Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka had organised a conference. In this country, one can live anywhere, go anywhere and organise a conference, but the Karnataka government unleashed a cycle of repression and arrested the MLA, mayor and more than 100 Marathi-speaking brothers and sisters of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti who had organised the conference. I condemn this."
He further emphasized that Veer Savarkar, who sacrificed his life for the country, should be respected.
"I condemn those who are trying to remove his statue... Our stand is clear, the people of Maharashtra and Karnataka will teach a lesson to the Karnataka government which is resorting to such repression," Shinde added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray also reacted to the incident and demanded to stop "injustice" against the Marathi people immediately.
"The Karnataka government not only denied permission to the General Conference of Maharashtra Integration Committee being held in Belgaum but also imposed a curfew in Belgaum. Borders are also being closed. Strong protest against this injustice on Marathi people!" he said.
"Belgaum is and will remain an integral part of Marathi identity! I appeal to the Government of Karnataka to stop this injustice to the Marathi people immediately! Nothing is greater than the interest of Maharashtra and Marathi people!" Thackeray added.
In another post, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA said that he is ready to support the proposal to make Belgaum, a union territory.
"We are ready to unanimously support the proposal to make Belgaum a union territory for the justice of the Marathi people," he said.
Speaking on the issue, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said that this is not any party issue but a Maratha issue.
"This is not a party issue, it is not a BJP, Congress or Shiv Sena issue. This is a Marathi Manoos issue. Shiv Sena has always taken the right stand for Marathis, Aditya Thackeray has taken it... Our priority is that Marathi Manoos who are in Belgaum of Karnataka should be given security and they should get the rights they have in a democracy," he said.
"There is a BJP government here and at the Centre, so if injustice is being done to Marathi Manoos then the BJP government of the Centre and Maharashtra should take steps for it. Veer Savarkar is a brave freedom fighter not only of Maharashtra but of the whole country, his contribution is huge, so it would be wrong for the Karnataka government to remove Veer Savarkar's picture from the legislature, they have not removed it yet but the Maharashtra government should clearly state its stand to stop them from doing so, this is our opinion," Danve added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News Agency staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)