City police arrested Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) youth president Shubham Shelke for allegedly mocking and insulting Kannada activists. Malmaruti police apprehended Shelke in Miraj, Maharashtra, on Monday and brought him to Belagavi by evening. After a medical check-up at Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS), he was presented before the court.
The arrest is linked to a recent incident where a youth threatened a PDO at Kinaye Gram Panchayat for speaking in Kannada and refusing to switch to Marathi. Following the viral video of the incident, police booked the youth, and Shelke later released a video supporting him. His remarks sparked a backlash from Kannada groups, prompting the police to register a case.
For the past week, Belagavi police have intensified action against individuals posting provocative, communal, or linguistic content online. Recently, they paraded 220 such offenders at the police grounds.
