Seeking reinstallation of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bagalkot, members and leaders of the Maratha community staged demonstrations in Hubballi and Dharwad on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum addressed to the State government.
In Hubballi, members of Maratha community took out a protest march from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park to Mini Vidhana Soudha via Sir Siddappa Kambali Marg and submitted to the Hubballi Tahsildar a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister. The protest was held under the aegis of Maratha Shree Bharati Mutt Trust.
Leading the protest, president of Maratha Samaj Sunil Dalavi, general secretary Narayan Vaidya, Dalit leader Gurunath Ullikashi and others condemned the removal of the statue in Bagalkot.
The Maratha leaders said that a 16-ft statue of Shivaji Maharaj has been got ready and this statue should be installed at the circle from where the earlier statue was removed. They said that a bronze statue of the warrior king should be installed in Bagalkot.
Mahendra Chavan, Parashuram Tahsildar, Arun Shirke, Dayanand Chavan, Ram jadhav and others led the protest.
In Dharwad
Members of the Maratha community staged the demonstration under the aegis of Maratha Vidya Prasarak Mandal in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Dharwad and demanded the reinstallation of the statue of Shivaji Maharaj in Bagalkot.
Leading the protest, president of mandal Yallappa Chavan, working president Subhash Shindhe and others said that while all the community members have consented to the installation of the statue, only some politically motivated vested interests have caused unrest in Bagalkot.
In the memorandum, they urged the Chief Minister to take the necessary steps to get the statue reinstalled in Bagalkot.
