Belagavi: Large gatherings have been banned in Belagavi as the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra touched its latest flashpoint after a statue of Chatrapati Shivaji in Bengaluru was smeared with ink.
Pro-Maharashtra activists staged a protest last night at Sambhaji Circle in Belagavi, demanding arrest of those involved in the smearing of Shivaji’s statue with ink. The protest turned violent and over a dozen Government vehicles were damaged in stone-pelting. Also, freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna’s statue in Belagavi was damaged last night, adding to the tension in the area. Meanwhile, 27 people had been arrested for attacking the Sangolli Rayanna statue. “27 arrested in 3 Police Station limits in Belagavi for attacking the Sangolli Rayanna statue,” said K. Tyagarajan, Commissioner of Police, Belagavi.
