Nagaraj: Supersede Belagavi civic body if it doesn’t pass pro-Karnataka resolution

Veteran Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Wednesday said he would urge the Karnataka government to supersede the Belagavi City Corporation if it failed to adopt a resolution declaring Belagavi an integral part of Karna taka and recognising the implementation of the recommendation of Mahajan Commission report as the final solution to the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute. Addressing a press conference in Belagavi, Nagaraj said that if the corporation rejected the resolution, he would ap peal to the state government to supersede the civic body.

He announced that a Karnataka bandh has been called on August 13 to press for the adoption of the resolution, protest against the sharing of Cauvery river water with Tamil Nadu, and demand the implementation of the Mahadayi project. He said the civic body should unanimously pass a resolution affirming that Belagavi is an in separable part of Karnataka. "Whether or not the corporation passes the resolution, Belagavi will continue to remain an integral part of Karnataka," he asserted. He alleged the Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, Shobha Karandlaje, V. Somanna and H.D. Kumaraswamy that they had failed to safeguard Karnataka's interests by effectively taking up issues related to the Mahadayi, Kalasa-Banduri, Cauvery and Krishna river water disputes with the Centre.

Claiming that Kannada organisations had been at the forefront of pro tecting the language and Karnataka's interests in the border district, Naga raj accused political lead ers of neglecting Belagavi's issues while engaging only in political rhetoric. "No Member of Parliament or legislator has taken to the streets in Belagavi for the cause of Kannada. Even when ministers and chief ministers visit the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, they have failed to take firm decisions to strengthen Kannada," he said. Nagaraj said the people of Belagavi had played a crucial role in Karnataka's unification and urged Chief Minister Siddara maiah to table a white paper during the forth coming legislature session detailing the government's initiatives for the development of North Karnataka, particularly in the areas of agriculture, irrigation, power and industry.