Maratha rally brings Belagavi to a halt
Virtually every participant in the rally waved a saffron flag, painting the route in the colour.
Belagavi: Demanding reservation in the 2-A category, over three lakh Marathas took out a massive rally in Belagavi city on Thursday, bringing traffic and normal life to a grinding halt.
Virtually every participant in the rally waved a saffron flag, painting the route in the colour. While the rally was believed to be a show of Maratha strength, none of the top MES leaders who attended it, raised any controversial issue as they had been warned against it by the Belagavi police.
Six young girls, who led the rally, however, spoke on several issues related to the rights of Marathi people when it ended at Bogarve Circle.
They warned the government that Thursday's silent rally was only the beginning and the Marthas could turn aggressive if the state government did not mend its ways and stop doing them injustice.
In a memorandum which was submitted to the district Deputy Commissioner, the Marathi leaders demanded installation of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in government offices and inclusion of lessons on the Maratha king in school syllabi.
They also demanded the release of official documents in Marathi language for the convenience of the Marathas, who outnumbered people of other communities in Belagavi city.