Karnataka govt indulging in intolerance: Uddhav

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today alleged that the Karnataka government was pressuring people in the border areas to speak Kannada and questioned why people weren't returning awards on this "intolerance" issue.
Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of Samyukta Maharashtra Smruti (memorial) garden at Dadar Naigaon here, he said his party will always stand behind the Marathi people living in Belgaum-Karwar belt of Karnataka and he will not rest till these Marathi-speaking areas along the border don't get included in Maharashtra.
"Karnataka government is pressuring people in the border areas to speak Kannada and is stopping them from speaking Marathi. This is nothing but atrocity by the Karnataka government. Is this not intolerance? Why aren't people returning awards on this issue?" he said in a dig at the writers who returned awards over rising intolerance.

Such people (writers, etc) always kept mum about atrocities committed by the Karnataka government on Marathi-speaking people in border areas, he said.
"This is intolerance and still nobody has returned their awards in protest of the inhuman actions of the Karnataka government.
"We had to fight for Mumbai's inclusion in Maharashtra. We had to fight against our own government in the state and at the Centre. (Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray was arrested at that time. Mumbai was on fire for ten days and finally the state government urged Balasaheb to appeal to the Shiv Sainiks to end their agitation," Uddhav said.

The young generation should know the history and the background of the formation of Smrti Udyan, he added.

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Taking at a dig at the BJP corporators for shouting
slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi even as the new Mayor was being elected, he said it would have been better had they raised Chhatrapati Shivaji's name.
"I am happy that Mumbaikars have given us the responsibility of the city for the fifth consecutive time. Whenever the city was in need, the Sena stood for its people," he said.
In a veiled reference to the BJP, Thackeray said he was thankful to all the known and the unknown persons who supported the Sena while the new Mayor was being elected.

"We will not forget the martyrs who gave up their lives only for a united Maharashtra. We will continue to struggle against wrongdoings," he said.