Maharashtra minister seeks reinstatement of Shivaji statue in Belgaum

Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday demanded that the Karnataka government reinstate a statue of Shivaji Maharaj which was allegedly removed by the authorities in Belgaum district.

In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Shinde, who is coordinator minister for border areas along Karnataka, claimed that a life-size statue of the warrior king was removed at Mangutti village.

The statue had been installed with the permission of the gram panchayat, but the administration removed it deliberately, the minister claimed, demanding action against the officials.

Belgaum (or Belagavi) district of Karnataka, which has a sizable Marathi-speaking population, is the subject of a protracted boundary dispute between the two states. 

(image from Twitter)