Amid a border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra in Belagavi district, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) is giving “rangoli bins” to Marathi households and asking individuals to make use of these colors to jot down pro-Marathi slogans exterior their homes each morning, individuals near developments mentioned on Thursday.
The individuals mentioned these rangolis have begun showing exterior the properties in Desur village, which has a big Marathi inhabitants.
The MES has additionally given mannequin photos rangoli drawings to be put exterior the home, which embrace slogans like “Ek Maratha Laak Maratha” (One Maratha equals a lakh individuals) and “Mee Marathi” and “Jai Maharashtra”, mentioned the above-cited individuals.
The “Ek Maratha Laak Maratha” slogan was used in the course of the reservation motion for Marathas in Maharashtra a number of years in the past.
A number of households had been seen drawing the rangoli in entrance of the homes, which is more likely to proceed until the election, the above-cited individuals mentioned.
Roopa Patil-Hindalgekar, a resident of Desur and a major faculty instructor at a authorities Marathi faculty in Belagavi taluk, mentioned Marathis had been excited to attract rangoli in entrance of the homes with slogans to state that they had been Marathis.
“We’re Hindus who draw rangoli in entrance of our homes every day. These new designs and slogans are only a technique to categorical our love in the direction of our language and tradition,” she mentioned.
The MES outfit was in its prime within the early Nineteen Sixties and Seventies when most candidates backed by it gained meeting seats in Belagavi.
In 2013, supporters of the MES didn’t win a single meeting seats however retained energy of Belagavi Metropolis Company by profitable 38 of the 58. Nonetheless, it supporters have gained solely two of complete 58 seats in 2021 metropolis company.
One of many MES leaders who didn’t need to be named mentioned the organisation has no earnings supply like different political events to supply home goods.
“To keep away from our individuals from promising votes for presents to different events we simply supplied the rangoli bins. Since we’ve an emotional reference to our voters, we consider such reminders are sufficient to get us our votes,” he mentioned.
MES workplace bearer and former legislator Manohar Kinekar, representing Belagavi rural constituency, mentioned a number of hundred households drew rangolis in entrance of their homes with slogans.
“Marathis within the constituency are excited to jot down in entrance of their homes as they’re Marathis and have promised wouldn’t settle for any reward from different political outfits and promised their votes to the samiti,” he claimed.
Karnataka Sarvodaya Seva Sangha founder president Shrinivas Talukar mentioned the federal government should e-book the anti-state actions case towards the individuals who had been drawing as ‘Jai Maharashtra’ within the rangoli in entrance of their homes which is towards the curiosity of the state.
Belagavi Rural Congress legislator Laxmi Hebbalkar and former Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) MLA Sanjay Patil had been discovered distributing family issues, together with fuel stoves, combination grinders, stress cookers, electrical iron bins, metal plates and glasses, and sarees to woo voters just lately, MES alleged.