The Maharashtra legislature on Monday condemned the Karnataka police action of registering an FIR against Home Minister R.R. Patil for his alleged provocative speech on the Maharashtra-Belgaum border dispute, last week.
Cutting across party lines, members of both Houses strongly objected to the FIR. Members of the Council wanted a censure motion moved against the Karnataka government. The matter was raised in the Assembly by Labour Minister Hasan Mushrif through a special mention issue.
Making a statement, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan described the action as provocative. He said he would speak to his Karnataka counterpart Jagadish Shettar seeking the withdrawal of the FIR.
It was lodged with an “ill-intention,” said Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt, adding that the Minister had expressed the sentiments of the legislature during a programme in Belgaum.
Senior Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote demanded that a censure motion be moved in the House by the Chief Minister without any delay.
The FIR was registered under Section 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code on April 10 for “promoting enmity between different groups” through his speech on Belgaum. The Minister was attending a function to celebrate the birthday of Kiran Thakur, leader of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi and editor of Marathi daily Tarun Bharat .
