BELGAUM: The Belgaum District Kannada Organisations' Action Committee on Friday urged the district administration to prevent "outsiders" from disturbing peace in the city.

The committee leaders requested Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to hoist Kannada flag at the offices of the Belgaum City Corporation and Belgaum Taluk Panchayat.

The committee members led by veteran Kannada activist and former Mayor Siddangouda Patil, senior leader Umadevi Topannavar, committee president Ashok Chandargi and the former corporator Ramesh Sontakki submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Shalini Rajneesh and urged her to take steps to control "outsiders" who are trying to disturb peace in the name of Kannada pride here.

They said the Government should not ignore the feelings of Kannada-speaking people in the district. They have been demanding for long that Kannada flag be hoisted at the offices of the corporation and the taluk panchayat.

Later, addressing presspersons, Mr. Chandargi said the Deputy Commissioner has conveyed the feelings of the Kannada-speaking people to the Chief Minister.

The committee has requested the Chief Minister to visit Belgaum and hoist Kannada flag to prevent "outsiders" from exploiting the sentiments of the local people.

A group of activists of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction) arrived here around 8 a.m. and hoisted Kannada flag atop the taluk panchayat office and in front of the corporation office. However, the flags were removed around 10.30 a.m., sources said.

Addressing presspersons, the vedike leaders demanded that the State Government ban Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES). They criticised MES leader Manohar Kinekar, MLA, for supporting the pro-Maharashtra movement. Meanwhile, Belgaum Taluk Panchayat president Maruti Parshuram Kugaji and leader of the ruling party in the panchayat Y.B. Tahsildar met the Deputy Commissioner and expressed their concern over the vedike members' action.

They said some self-proclaimed protectors of Karnataka from Bangalore are trying to disturb peace in the city. The district administration should take steps to prevent them from exploiting the border dispute for their political advantage, they added.

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