In a major embarrassment to the ruling Congress Government in Karnataka captained by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a senior leader and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) women wing president laxmi Hebbalkar has courted a controversy after she made pro-Maharashtra statement on August 27.
The video of her address allegedly making a statement that she would be the first to raise ‘Jai Maharashtra’ cry with Maharashtra flag in her hand if the Supreme Court gives its verdict for including Belagavi in Maharashtra went viral. This has become a major controversy and an embarrassment to Siddaramaiah Government ahead of Assembly polls. However, the party went into damage control and made her to clarify to her statement.
“I will be the first to say Jai Maharashtra,” statement made by Hebbalkar has gone viral in social media. Hebbalkar was addressing a programme at Basarikatti village in Belagavi taluk. The audio clip says that she would be the first to say Jai Maharashtra with the flag of the State in her hands if the Supreme Court gives its verdict in favour of the neighbouring State.
“I do not fear anyone except God and my parents. I am not concerned with language and caste. Only the development of constituency is my concern. So I speak like this with courage. Others do not dare to speak,” she said.
Hebbalkar is also heard uttering Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti slogan in Marathi ‘Jhalach Pahije’ which means ‘it has to happen’. “Marathi speaking people have been meted injustice and youth are not getting employment,” Hebbalkar is heard saying in the audio clip.
Kannada organisations are up in arms after Karnataka Congress Women Block president laxmi Hebbalkar openly declared her support to the Maharashtra cause in the border dispute over Belagavi.
As Kannada and Marathi speakers are in equal number in her constituency, it is said her statement was meant to please Marathi voters.
Kannada organisations in Belagavi have termed the statement as “immature” and warned of protests against Hebbalkar in the coming days.
laxmi Hebbalkar on Thursday clarified that her statement was misunderstood. She said, “I mean that people should not worry about issues like merger; but should focus on development of the constituency. I said that a few leaders of MES were misleading people by telling them that they would be happy in the neighbouring State.”