Belagavi police open rowdy sheet on pro-Kannada activists

BELAGAVI: The Tilakawadi and APMC police in Belagavi have issued a notice for a Rs 50,000 fine and a cover letter against two pro-Kannada activists and registered a rowdy sheeter case against them, citing that they might disturb social harmony ahead of the assembly elections in the city.
The two pro-Kannada activists are Sampat Kumar Desayi and Anil Daddimani, members of the Karunadu Vijay Sene Kannada outfit.
In December 2021, they allegedly blackened the face of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti leader Deepak Dalavi when he was holding a protest against Karnataka government in opposition to the assembly winter session.
Sampat and Anil had poured ink on Dalavi.
Belagavi police arrested the duo. They later got bail.
The police have cited the same incident to open a rowdy sheeter case against both.
The news has sparked discussion on social platforms and many pro-Kannada activists condemned the police’s action. A section of netizens have said that the state government was appeasing Marathi people in Belagavi ahead of the elections.
Pro-Kannada outfits activists have held a meeting and condemned the action of the police.
Karnataka Rakshna Vedike district president Deepak Gudaganatti said the Karnataka government and Belagavi police wanted “to bully us”. He said the movement of pro-Kannada outfits was “always for the Kannada language, land and water. These people have not made any mistake. They fought for Kannada. Our police’s actions are condemnable. We will meet the police commissioner tomorrow regarding this. The police should end the case against them,” he said.
TOI tried to contact city police commissioner MB Borlingyya but the calls went unanswered.
On social media platforms, several pro-Kannada outfits have criticised and warned that they will carry out protests against the police and government if the case is not removed.