Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations across the state on Sunday were accompanied by heightened political activity in Belagavi, where Karnataka police stopped more than 50 Shiv Sena workers from Maharashtra at the Karnataka-Maharashtra border and detained several leaders linked to a separate pro-statehood campaign.
The Shiv Sena workers, belonging to the Uddhav Thackeray faction, were travelling from Kolhapur to Belagavi to participate in the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti’s ‘Black Day’ observance. Police stopped them near the Koganolli checkpost in Nipani taluk and handed them over to the Kagal police in Kolhapur district. The group was led by Vijay Devane, president of the Shiv Sena’s Kolhapur district unit.
In Belagavi, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti held its ‘Black Day’ programme despite not receiving permission from the district administration, according to the report. Participants took out a rally from Sambhaji Udyan on Mahadwar Road through Shahapur’s SPM Road, Mahatma Phule Road and Basaveshwar Circle before reaching the Marathi Mandir Kalyan Mandap near the railway overbridge.
The protesters raised slogans demanding that Belagavi, Khanapur, Bidar, Bhalki, Karwar and Nipani be merged with Maharashtra. The event took place alongside official Karnataka Rajyotsava programmes across the state, underlining the continuing sensitivity of language and territorial identity in Belagavi, a city located near the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.
Police also detained several leaders, including social activist M.S. Patil Naribol, who had planned to hoist a separate state flag at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Circle. The organisers alleged that the Kalyana Karnataka region was being treated unfairly in development matters. The detained individuals were later released, the report said.
Elsewhere, district administrations conducted flag-hoisting ceremonies, parades and cultural programmes to mark Karnataka Rajyotsava. In Dharwad, Deputy Commissioner Snehal drove District In-charge Minister Santosh Lad’s car after the official programme at the District Sahitya Bhavan. In Chikkamagaluru, Deputy Commissioner Bhanwar Singh Meena hoisted the flag in the absence of Minister K.J. George, who was reported to be unwell. Twenty-three contingents, including police, forest officials, home guards, NCC cadets and students, participated in the parade.
In Dakshina Kannada, District In-charge Minister U.T. Khader warned that irregular rainfall could lead to drinking-water stress and increased heat in January, urging preparedness for the effects of climate variability. He also welcomed the declaration of Tulu as the state’s second administrative language. In Udupi, officials announced plans for an entertainment park and sports facilities using 7.07 acres at Trasi and Maravanthe beaches at an estimated cost of ₹48 crore.
Ceremonies were also held in Vijayapura, Gadag, Chikkaballapur, Kalaburagi, Kodagu, Mysuru, Raichur and Tumakuru. In Mysuru, 92 people received district-level Rajyotsava awards. In Gadag, 21 teams took part in the parade, while Raichur’s programme included contingents from the police, forest department, NCC, Scouts and Guides, schools and a café staff group.
The state-wide observances combined official cultural celebrations with local administrative announcements, public-order measures and renewed language-related demands. In Belagavi, the district administration’s handling of the rallies and border movement remained the day’s most significant law-and-order development.
