Members in Maharashtra Legislative Council today condemned the registering of FIR against State Home Minister R R Patil for his alleged "provocative" speech on the Belgaum issue last week, and demanded that a censure motion be moved against the Karnataka government.
Raising the issue through matter of propriety, Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt said that the FIR was lodged against Patil with an "ill-intention".
"The Home Minister expressed the sentiments of the House during a programme in Belgaum. We condemn the lodging of FIR by Karnataka police," he said.
While senior Shiv Sena legislator Diwakar Raote demanded that a censure motion should be moved in the House by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today itself against the government of the neighbouring state.
"Maharashtra (state) was disrespected by the Karnataka government. With unanimity, the views of the Upper House should be conveyed to the Centre," Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) legislator Jayant Patil said.
Giving a ruling on the issue, House Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh asked State Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam to convey the sentiments of the House to the CM.
The FIR against Patil was filed on April 10, by Karnataka police for promoting enmity between different groups through his speech on Belgaum, a bone of contention between the two states.
According to Karnataka police, the FIR was filed for "provocative utterances" by Patil at a function organised in Bangalore to celebrate the birthday of Kiran Thakur, leader of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) and editor of Marathi daily "Tarun Bharat".
In his speech, Patil had allegedly made provocative remarks while recalling the incident when the then Belgaum Mayor, Vijay Pandurang More, was attacked in Bangalore several years ago for a resolution by the civic body seeking merger of Belgaum and several other Marathi-speaking areas with Maharashtra.
The FIR was registered under Sections 153(A) of IPC for provoking and creating disharmony between communities on the basis of religion, race, place of birth and language under the Representation of People Act.
