The Market police have registered a suo motu FIR against 150 individuals, including former MES MLA Manohar Kinekar and Shubham Shelke, for allegedly shouting pro-Maharashtra slogans and disrupting Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations on November 1.
According to PSI Vithal Havannanavar, who filed the complaint, the accused created a disturbance and raised provocative slogans that led to tension in the area. Police have charged them with attempting to incite communal unrest and promote linguistic division.
Those named in the FIR are said to be members of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and allegedly shouted slogans in support of Maharashtra during the statehood celebrations. Following the incident, several MES activists reportedly fled Belagavi to avoid arrest. The Market police have initiated efforts to trace and apprehend the accused.
