During the inaugural proceedings of the 95th All-India Marathi Natya Sammelan-2015, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti workers started shouting ‘Jhalach Pahije’, the slogan used to demand the transfer of Bidar, Bhalki, Nipani, Belagavi, Khanapur and Karwar from Karnataka to Maharashtra, here on Saturday.
The workers were reportedly irked over the alleged neglect of their senior leader Kiran Thakur and the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of the Belagavi City Corporation Mahesh Naik and Renu Mutakekar repectively.
The three were reportedly seated among the audience at the back and irked by this, the workers shouted slogans and calmed down only after the organisers escorted them to the dais.
The workers also wanted the Marathi Natya Parishad to adopt a resolution demanding that the towns and cities of Karnataka were moved to Maharashtra, something which Kannada organisations had warned against.
This happened in the presence of the former Union Minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar, who was there to inaugurate the conference, Conference president Faiyyaz Sheikh, MNP president and Bollywood actor Mohan Joshi and several personalities from the Marathi theatre and cinema stage were also present. On seeing the disturbance, Mr. Joshi stepped down from the stage and proceeded towards the workers. But, he was prevented and escorted back to the stage.
A senior MES leader said that the workers should pressure their Mayor and Deputy Mayor and councillors to adopt the resolution in the corporation.
