BELAGAVI
A fresh controversy erupted at the Belagavi Municipal Corporation meeting on Thursday after MES-backed member Ravi Salunke demanded that council proceedings and related documents be provided in Marathi, citing the Linguistic Minority Act.
Supporting the demand, MES-affiliated members Shivaji Mandolakar and Vaishali Bhatakande insisted that Marathi-speaking members were entitled to access documents in their language. The demand triggered a heated response from other council members.
Nominated member Ramesh Sontakki opposed the request, stating that in Maharashtra’s Akkalkot and Jath regions, where there are many Kannadigas, government documents are issued only in Marathi, with no provision for Kannada. He argued that similar linguistic exclusivity should not be encouraged in Belagavi by issuing documents in Marathi.
Ruling party leader Hanumant Kongali attempted to defuse the tension by urging members to adhere to the meeting’s agenda and wait for their turn to speak. However, BJP members strongly condemned Salunke’s remarks, accusing him of taking an “anti-national” stance. Several demanded his disqualification from the council.
The incident once again highlighted the persistent language tensions in the border district, with pro-Kannada and pro-Marathi groups frequently clashing over linguistic identity and administrative language rights.
