BELAGAVI, 3 APRIL

A day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah requested his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis to release water to the rivers flowing through the northern region of Karnataka, local organisations opposed the neighbouring state's plan to construct an auditorium for Marathis in Belagavi in remembrance of those killed in the 1986 riots.

The Kannada Organisations Steering Committee (KOSC), in a letter to Siddaramaiah on Wednesday, mentioned the neighbouring state’s plan of constructing an auditorium in memory of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) activists killed in Belagavi, Nippani and Khanapur in the riots.

Maharashtra’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, former minister Chhagan Bhujbal and several Shiva Sena leaders went to Belagavi on 1 June, 1986, and burnt to death a police constable and triggered riots that made police to open fire, in which around 12 people died and nearly 50 other persons were injured in stone pelting and lathi charge.

Describing those who died in the riots as "hutatmas" (martyrs), the MES organises a condolence meeting at Kaveri Circle on 17 January every year. It has recently proposed to construct an auditorium in Hindalaga locality in memory of the "hutatmas" with funds from Maharashtra.

Ashok Chandaragi, the convenor of the KOSC, said he has brought the matter to the notice of the chief minister and also submitted a memorandum to Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammed Roshan.