Shiv Sena asks state to approach SC over Belgaum

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena on Thursday demanded that the state government should immediately approach the Supreme Court to restrain Karnataka from declaring Belg-aum as the second capital of the state.

The dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over Belgaum has been going on for last several years. Newly elected chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is likely to consider proposal of declaring Belgaum as the second capital of Karnataka, despite of the opposition from the Marathi-speaking people from Belgaum, who want it to be a part of Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ slammed the Karnataka government over its move. Mr Thackeray demanded that, Maharashtra government should immediately approach the Supreme Court for restraining the Karn-ataka government from taking such a decision when the Special Leave Petition of the state government is pending before the court.

Mr Thackeray alleged, “Karnataka government has been behind atrocities against Marathi-speaking people in Belgaum for several years. Now it built Vidhan Bhavan in Belgaum and Mr Kumaraswamy is likely to grant the status of the second capital. As the ‘Belgaum Ekikaran Samiti’ is not intact the Karnataka government is taking undue advantage of it. Maharashtra chief minister Deve-ndra Fadnavis should immediately take steps to ensure the interests of Marathi-speaking people residing in Belg-aum and fight against the Karnataka government’s decision.”