Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC will be in force within a one-kilometre radius of the main gate of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) for the entire duration of the winter session of the State legislature. The prohibitory orders will come into effect from midnight of November 24 and remain in force till midnight of December 7.
The district administration and the police have facilitated an open space one km away from the SVS gate where the public can stage protests and dharnas in a peaceful manner.
The Belgaum taluk Executive Magistrate and tahsildar, on Wednesday issued summons under Section 107 of the CrPC to nearly 400 leaders and activists of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, and others representing various Kannada organisations, including the former Mayor Siddangouda Patil and Belgaum District Kannada Organisations Action Committee leader Ashok Chandargi.
The Marathi leaders, who received the summons, include former and present councillors of Belgaum City Corporation and MES Belgaum city president Deepak Dalvi.
The decision to issue summons evoked protests from both the camps. The MES plans to organise a Maha Melava — a parallel session in the form of a public meeting at Lele ground in Tilakwadi to air its grievances on the boundary dispute on November 26. But the Kannada organisations have been vehemently opposing it in view of the violence that had erupted on previous such occasions.
District in-charge Minister Satish L. Jarkiholi maintained that the decision by the concerned authorities was taken as one of several preventive measures to ensure public peace, harmony and law and order during the winter session in and around the city.
Vigil
To a question on the necessity to issue notice to an aged person such as Mr. Patil, Mr. Jarkiholi said all were equal before the law.
He said the police would do their best to maintain law and order and would deal sternly with miscreants.
