“If Marathas in the state elect at least five MLAs, we could make Karnataka government dance to our tunes,” said Maharashtra home minister RR Patil.
Addressing the gathering after felicitating the MES leader and journalist Kiran Thakur on his 62nd birthday in Belgaum on Sunday, Patil predicted that there will be no clear majority to any party in Karnataka after the assembly elections. “The BJP has been divided into three parties after ruling the state for the past five years, and it spent its tenure only in corruption, dissidence and scandals,” he alleged.
“Karnataka government has been harassing Marathi speaking people with moves like removing sign boards in Marathi, blackening the face of a Marathi mayor and so on. We are silent not because of fear. We are just waiting for the right time. If it is needed, we are also ready to fight with swords.”
Patil, who is also the chief of the Maharashtra unit of the Nationalist Congress Party, assured that he will fight for merger of Belgaum and other areas into Maharashtra. Meanwhile, he pointed out the lack of unity among Maharashtrians and underlined that selfishness of leaders is killing the strength of the movement. However, he appealed to all Marathi people to vote for the MES candidates.
Responding to the felicitation, Kiran Thakur recalled that he was reprimanded in the Karnataka legislative assembly in July 2012, for criticising the land grabbing from poor farmers by politicians in his newspaper.
He added that he would not bow to any political threats and would continue to discharge his duties as a journalist.
However, Patil’s remarks are expected to draw heat from Kannada activists in the state.
@dna
