Sena petition seeks union territory status for Belgaum

Mumbai: The opposition Shiv Sena yesterday submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil, urging her to recommend to the federal government to have Belgaum and neighbouring areas of Karnataka declared a ‘union territory' to protect the interests of the Marathi-speaking people there.

The Sena's request to Patil comes four days after the Maharashtra Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the Karnataka government's move to supersede the Belgaum City Corporation (BCC) and its recommendation to the federal government that Belgaum city and surrounding areas be declared a ‘union territory'.

Threat of agitation

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and his party colleagues met the president at Raj Bhavan, where they submitted a memorandum to Patil making a strong case for union territory status for Belgaum and surrounding areas.

Thackeray was accompanied by leaders of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, a political outfit fighting for the cause of the Marathi-speaking people living in the border areas of Karnataka.

The Sena also threatened to launch a state-wide shutdown and take out a march to New Delhi to mount pressure on the federal government to accept its demand.