A Kannada activist blackened the face of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) president Deepak Dalvi near the vaccine depot ground at Tilakwadi here on Monday, in protest against the MES annually holding the ‘maha melava’ (convention), demanding merger of Belagavi into Maharashtra.
The MES had organised the ‘maha melava,’ opposing the winter session of the state legislature being held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here.
The city police had not given permission for the ‘maha melava’. The MES leaders tried to explain that their event would be peaceful.
Dalvi, along with another activist, was at some distance from the stage, when activists of Karnataka Nava Nirmana Sene confronted him near the district health office gate, for demanding the merger of Belagavi with Maharashtra.
Activist Sampath Kumar Desai, who had brought black ink in a sachet, smeared it on the face and body of Dalvi.
He raised slogans in favour of the state. Two police personnel present near Dalvi could not prevent him from being smeared with ink.
This led to a tense situation in the area. MES activists demanded that the police hand over the Kannada activists to them. The police detained Desai and others.
Dalvi later filed a complaint with the Tilakwadi police demanding action against Desai and others. He called for a Belagavi bandh on Tuesday, condemning the attack.
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