MES trying to breathe life into border issue

A besieged MES over the past few years is trying back to win the hearts of the people in Belgaum and other areas. MES launched a campaign across Maharashtra to intensify its movement for the merger of Marathi speaking areas of Karnataka with Maharashtra. Leaders are having a Janajagruti Abhiyan in Chandgad, Satara and Pune before heading for Mumbai. The Abhiyan which started from Shivaji Garden Shahpur will end at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on August Kranti Day.

  The MES leaders blamed “self serving” Maratha leaders for the failure of their struggle in Karnataka. They hope to reach out to people to strengthen their movement for the merger of Marathi dominated areas of Karnataka with Maharashtra. 

MES is on tenterhooks to gain the support of the people of Maharashtra in exerting pressure on the Centre to declare Belgaum a Union Territory until the boundary dispute is settled in the Supreme Court. Several MES leaders like Kiran Thakur, Vijay More, Shivaji Sunthkar, T.K. Patil and V.B. Chougale, who are participating in the campaign, said they would meet Maharashtra leaders in Mumbai to revive the struggle.

 

It appears to have planned the Maharashtra campaign as a last ditch effort to revive its fortunes.

 

Source: Deccan Chronicle

Shiv Sena now to protest in Maharashtra over Belgaum border issue

This is for the first time that the border issue of Belgaum will now be played in Maharashtra. Until date, there were numerous protests and agitations were undertaken by MES in Karnataka, especially Belgaum but now it seems the Shiv Sena will hold protests in Kolhapur today on this issue.

Sena activists plan to lay siege to the DC office in Kolhapur on Tuesday. Political pundits say Sena's decision is influenced by the coming assembly elections Maharashtra. This may spring from Sena's 2009 Lok Sabha election manifesto promised to grant Union Territory status to Belgaum if the NDA came to power at the Centre.

Sena raising the issue in places other than Belgaum may be to gain political mileage in Maharashtra. Sena leaders from Belgaum will also join the agitation today at Kolhapur.

Source: TOI

Shiv Sena seeks President's intervention in Belgaum

A delegation of Shiv Sena MPs led by former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi today called on President Pratibha Patil and urged her to declare Belgaum and its surrounding areas as Union Territory pending a final decision by the Supreme Court.

The Sena chief pointed that an amicable solution to the more than five-decade-old dispute had proved elusive despite an agitation launched by his party since 1969.
Later the Shiv Sena said its support to L K Advani as the Prime Ministerial candidate depends on the position the NDA's lead party takes on Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute over Belgaum.

Denying permission to ‘Maha Melav’ was wrong

Denying permission to ‘Maha Melav’ was wrong
The decision to deny permission to the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) to hold the “Maha Melav” was politically wrong decision, according to a senior Minister.
KPCC member L.B. Karale did not appreciate the decision of the Government to deny permission to MES to hold its convention. He observed that the Government had acted undemocratically under the pressure from some Kannada groups.
Mr. Karale sought to convey that MES had no case against Karnataka or Kannadigas. They are against the States Reorganisation Commission injustice.
BJP leader Suresh C. Angadi, MP, said he and Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar B. Kore had insisted that there was nothing wrong in according permission, as the MES meet held on September 25, 2006, was peaceful.
Source The Hindu

Now these comments can strike off another a battle of war of words between many. But see this from a political point of view.
The Marathi speaking populace who last time voted for the BJP for the Loksabha seat, this time may not vote the same way, so they are worried and Congress knows this and hence this new interpretation.