Karnataka minister Laxmi Hebbalkar has clarified that her statement referring to Belagavi as part of Maharashtra was a “slip of the tongue”. Elected as an MLA from the Belagavi rural seat, Hebbalkar told News18 that she intended to discuss Karnataka’s history and how the six districts of Karnataka were part of the Bombay province before Independence.
A video of Hebbalkar’s speech went viral, where she mentioned, “Belagavi belonged to Maharashtra before Independence”.
‘Slip of Tongue, a Human Error’
“Inadvertently, Maharashtra slipped out of my mouth. It was a human error, nothing more. I was just tracing the history of the formation of Karnataka, like other states on linguistic lines,” Hebbalkar said in an exclusive interview.
Hebbalkar, who is in charge of the state women and child development ministry, said instead of saying Bombay Presidency, Maharashtra slipped out of her mouth. She continued to express that her intention was to trace the history of Karnataka, its formation, and how a few districts of Karnataka were part of the Bombay presidency. According to the State Reorganisation Act, which bifurcated states on a linguistic basis, in 1956, Belgaum was incorporated into the newly formed Mysore state.
“I was only trying to convey to the people that just because they are at the borders, they shouldn’t feel left out. We, the Congress government, will extend all our help to every person who is part of Karnataka. Those at the borders should not think they are being ignored,” she added.
Hebbalkar further stated that she would like to reiterate, for the benefit of her critics, that Belagavi is a part of Karnataka and will always be so. Hebbalkar, while clarifying, also asked her critics to sit back and understand the context in which she was speaking, except for that one slip. She made these comments at the Sixth Kannada Convention organised at Karadga Village in Belagavi, where she discussed language, literature, and how they have shaped Karnataka’s rich cultural heritage.
“Karadaga is the last village in Karnataka after which the border of Maharashtra begins. I went there to tell every person in that the village that the Karnataka government is with them, and we are proud Kannadigas together,” she said.
BJP Seeks Hebbalkar’s Resignation
Reactions came in thick and fast, with the Karnataka BJP calling it an insult to the 6.5 crore Kannadigas and also seeking the resignation of Hebbalkar, calling it a statement for vote bank politics.
Leader of Opposition R Ashoka condemned her statement, calling it unnecessary and provocative.
“Belagavi, today, tomorrow, and forever, will and is an integral part of Karnataka. It is another power centre of the state, and as long as there is sun and moon, Belagavi will remain with Karnataka,” Ashoka tweeted.
Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra also criticised Hebbalkar for her statement and called it an unbecoming of a minister. “It is an attempt to disturb the sovereignty of Karnataka and the linguistic harmony of the state… Let chief minister Siddaramaiah, who makes tall speeches about commitment to Kannada, dismiss this disloyal minister from the cabinet immediately,” he said.
Former Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan also commented on the issue, and said, “Belagavi belongs to Karnataka. There should not be any political conspiracy in this regard, and that is why the government organizes the Assembly session in Belagavi”.
For the last 60 years, there has been an ongoing tension between Karnataka and Maharashtra regarding Belagavi located in northern Karnataka.
What is the Controversy?
Starting in 1960, Maharashtra has been claiming that 865 Karnataka villages along the border, like Karwar, Nippani, and Belgaum (previously Belgaum), should be merged with their state as linguistically it has higher Marathi-speaking people. In response, Karnataka claimed it will not part with Belagavi, and laid claim over 260 villages in Maharashtra, where mostly Kannada is spoken.
Even though Belgaum has had more people speaking Marathi, it was merged with the Mysore state, now known as Karnataka. This decision was made based on the 1881 census, which showed that 64.39% of people in Belgaum spoke Kannada and 26.04% spoke Marathi.
Social activist Senapati Bapat went on a hunger strike to support Maharashtra’s claim. This led the central government to forming the Mahajan Committee in 1966, which had members from both states, and was supposed to solve the border problem.
In its report in August 1967, the Mahajan Committee suggested that 264 villages should go to Maharashtra, and Belagavi along with 247 villages should stay with Karnataka. The committee also recommended giving Sholapur in Maharashtra and Kasargod in Kerala to the Mysore state. Maharashtra did not agree with this report, thinking it was unfair and illogical. The matter has since been embroiled in verbal political duels, legal battles, leading to even violent clashes between both states in the past.
In another major step, Karnataka built its second seat of governance, a replica of Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi, called ‘Suvarna Soudha’, where the winter session of Karnataka Legislative Assembly is held in an effort to highlight the state’s claim over the district.
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