Vatal Nagaraj urged the Karnataka government to immediately ban MES, warning of strong Kannada protests if demands ignored.
Ramanagara
Karnataka Chaluvali Vatal Paksha president Vatal Nagaraj has demanded that the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) be banned in the state, declaring that he will hold a solo protest in front of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi if the government fails to act.
Speaking at a protest held on Monday at Aijuru Circle, he said MES has no role in Karnataka and no connection with the people of the state. Let them do whatever they want in Maharashtra. This government, which seems deaf and mute, is failing to show its strength. I will continue the struggle to alert the government. MES must be banned in Karnataka, he insisted.
Referring to Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar’s recent remarks suggesting the division of Belagavi, Nagaraj demanded an immediate withdrawal of the statement. He questioned whether such comments were paving the way for merging parts of Belagavi with Maharashtra. He warned that Belagavi must remain united and any talk of division would face fierce resistance from Kannada activists.
Kannadigas are peace-loving, but do not provoke us. You repeatedly try to gain attention by creating controversies. Not an inch of Karnataka’s land will be given away. MES hooliganism will not be tolerated. Vacate Belagavi first, or Kannadigas will be forced to show their strength, he cautioned.
Responding to the ongoing aviation crisis, Nagaraj criticised IndiGo Airlines for causing hardships to passengers over the past week. He said the company had failed to arrange alternatives and questioned whether the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation was functioning at all. Despite repeated issues, neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor the Civil Aviation Minister had intervened, he alleged. He demanded an immediate resolution and said the prime minister should resign if the crisis continues. Kannada activists plan to lay siege to the international airport on Tuesday afternoon to press their demand.
