Belagavi is and will be Karnataka's: Tejasvi Surya slams Aaditya Thackeray

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya on Tuesday hit out at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray over his demand to make Belgavi a union territory, saying that the district will always be a part of Karnataka.

Speaking to mediapersons, Surya stated that inflaming these kinds of passions is not good in the interest of both Maharashtra and Karnataka.

"Aaditya Thackeray must realise that Belagavi is and will always be a part of Karnataka. Trying to fan these kinds of regional disparities and inflame these kinds of passions is not good in the interest of both states," the BJP MP from Bengaluru South said.

Surya further urged the Sena (UBT) leader to not indulge in the politics of regionalism while emphasising the need to stay united as a nation.

"As a young political leader who perhaps is of the same age as me, I request he not indulge in the politics of regionalism. It is time for us to unite people. It is time for us to heal the differences and rise as one single nation," Surya stated.

"Politics of division, politics of inflaming passions among people, is only going to burn those who instigate such things," he cautioned.

Earlier on Monday, Aditya Thackeray, in a post on X, said that he is ready to support the proposal to make Belgaum a union territory after the Karnataka government denied permission for 'Marathi Ekikaran Samiti' to hold their conference in Karnataka.

"We are ready to unanimously support the proposal to make Belgaum a union territory for the justice of the Marathi people," he said.

Thackeray also demanded an end to "injustice" against the Marathi people, saying, "The Karnataka government not only denied permission to the General Conference of the Maharashtra Integration Committee being held in Belgaum but also imposed a curfew in Belgaum. Borders are also being closed. Strong protest against this injustice against Marathi people!"

Notably, Belgavi is a district in Karnataka bordering Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday dismissed Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray's demand to make Belgavi a Union Territory as "childish."

Speaking to media persons, Siddaramaiah said, "The Mahajan Commission report on Belgaum is the final one. It's folly (to demand) that the district should be included in Maharashtra. The Karnataka government will not tolerate childish statements being made in this regard.