Kolhapur: With spontaneous response to agitation of Workers and leaders of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) of Belgaum and supported by all political parties including BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde), Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and other left parties, Monday staged ‘dharna’ in front of Kolhapur district collector office in Tarabai Park area of the city.
They expressed their protest against Karnataka state government for its oppression against MES with withdrawal permission of MES’s Mahamelava which was to held in Belgaum last week and injustice against Marathi speaking people living in disputed border areas from last more than 60 years.
MES leaders earlier in a meeting held at A Maratha Mandir in Belgaum, had decided to take agitation of Marathi speaking people from disputed border areas, in Kolhapur district in future following Karnataka governments attempt to put down every agitation in Belgaum and other parts in border areas and with possibility to put down this agitation, MES has decided to stage ‘dharna’ agitation in the front of Kolhapur District collector office.
Hundreds of MES workers , who arrived by motorcycles from Belgaum along with leaders and workers and leaders of all political parties including BJP, SS(Shinde), MVA, comprising Nationalist Congress party NCP, Congress and SS (Thackeray) and other left parties, gathered at historic Dasara Chowk and after garlanding statue of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, a huge morcha took out to district collector office, leading with senior leaders of MES and other political parties.
After reaching at district collector office, they ‘agitated ‘ at specially erected ‘mandap’ shouted slogans against the Karnataka government for oppression on Marathi speaking people and also expressed their severe protest for withdrawing permission for MES ‘Mahamwlava’ in Belgaum by Marathi hated Karnataka government.
Later, a delegation comprising MES and other leaders, met district collector Rahul Rekhavar and handed over a memorandum of their demand on burning border issue and requested him to send it to prime minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.
MES office bearers from Belgaum including Manohar Kinikar, former MES MLA, Malojirao Asthekar, MES chief secretary and former Belgaum mayor, Prakash Margale, MES treasure, Vikas Kalghatgi, Ranjeet Chavan, former Belgaum Corporator while BJP MPs Dhananjay Mahadik, Sanjay Mandlik(SS) SS(Thackeray) district president Vijay Devne, R K Powar, NCP city president, Vasantrao Mulik, national vice-president of All India Maratha Mahasankalp’, Deelip Pawar, Satishchandra Kamble, CPI leader and hi dress of MES workers from Belgaum and MES workers from the district participated in the agitation.
