Maharashtra Dy CM performs pooja for Belgaum

After challenging the “sovereignty” of Karnataka Government over Belgaum during a recently held public meeting, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil has now sought divine intervention for the merger of Belgaum with Maharashtra.

Mr Patil arrived at the famous temple town of Pandharpur in the border district of Solapur along with his wife and performed a special pooja for the acquisition of Belgaum and other Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka. Patil is understood to have also prayed for the safety and protection of Marathi-speaking population residing in Belgaum from the oppression of Karnataka police.

Patil told a group of reporters from Belgaum that he had visited Pandharpur to fulfill the wishes of Marathas in Karnataka and hoped that their plea to be part of Maharashtra is fulfilled.

Reacting to Karnataka Government’s recent threat to file a case against him for his “provocative” statements against the Government, Patil dared the Government of Karnataka to file a case against him. “If the Karnataka Government has any guts, let is file a case against me for speaking against it at Belgaum”, he said.

When the Karnataka Government was holding its maiden Legislature Session at Belgaum last month, Patil addressed a parallel rally convened by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) in Belgaum and argued for merger of all Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka with Maharasthra, much to the chagrin of Karnataka Government.

Patil’s decision to perform a special pooja for acquisition of Belgaum and other Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka comes close on the heels of a similar pooja performed by the Marathi community in Belgaum during the Ganesha festival seeking the transfer of areas dominated by Marathi-speaking population to Maharashtra.