The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and the Shiv Sena have decided to hold a Maha Morcha protest rally from Dharmveer Sambhaji Maharaj Circle at 11 AM towards the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) on Monday demanding the immediate removal of a Kannada flag and flagpole erected there. Besides activists from various pro-Maharashtra outfits from the Belagavi region, a large number of Shiv Sena activists from Kolhapur are expected to take part in the protest, but the District administration has banned their entry.
Belagavi district collector M G Hiremath had requested to MES leaders to cancel their Maha-Morcha with considering likely arising law and order situation in the district.
The MES on numerous occasions have met the DC and requested him to remove the Kannada flag from but their request was neglected and their demand for installation of the Saffron flag was also not heard.
Traffic would be diverted once the morcha starts and heavy police deployment is visible en-route from Globe circle.