The Deccan Chronicle 08.12.2010
Naming of road after BSY flayedBelgaum, Dec. 7: The Belgaum City Corporation's move to name National Highway-4, which runs through the district, after Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, has been strongly opposed by the Congress and Janata Dal (S) as well as several pro-Maharashtra organisations, which see Belgaum as a disputed territory.
The Congress and Janata Dal (S) contend the corporation’s recent resolution to name the road after Mr Yeddyurappa is objectionable when the Chief Minister is facing serious allegations of land grabbing. They have urged the Centre not to clear any proposal sent by the state government to it for naming a stretch of NH-4 passing through Belgaum, after him.
Leaders of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES), for their part, insist the government cannot name any road or important junction of Belgaum after a Karnataka leader until the boundary dispute between the two states is resolved.
They argue that Marathi culture will suffer if places that are predominantly occupied by Marathis are named after Karnataka’s leaders.
The MES has submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner Ekroop Caur against naming the highway after Mr Yeddyurappa, alleging that the Rs 100 crore released to the corporation is being utilised only for development of areas in Belgaum occupied by Kannadigas, and demanded that the money should be used for the overall development of the city.
Most MES members had boycotted the meeting of the Belgaum corporation when it passed the resolution to name the road after Mr Yeddyurappa. Mayor N.B. Nirwani, who was under pressure from BJP MLAs in the district to pass the resolution, introduced it at the very first meeting of the corporation. Belgaum South MLA Abhay Patil had objected to the mayor putting off the resolution to another day and made sure it was tabled before any other subject relating to developmental work was raised at the meeting.
