Mon Dec 08 09:37:53 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and rewritten news article based on the provided text:
Summary:
On December 8, 2025, police in Belagavi, Karnataka, detained members of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) due to planned protests surrounding the Karnataka legislature’s winter session. The MES had planned a “Maha Melava” (grand gathering) demanding Belagavi’s inclusion in Maharashtra, despite lacking permission. The KRV protested against the MES event. Tensions rose when MES activists attempted to confront KRV members. In a related incident, Shiv Sena activists in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, stopped a Karnataka state bus and affixed “Jai Maharashtra” stickers, protesting the denied permission for the MES gathering. Security was heightened around the Suvarna Soudha (Legislative Assembly building) in anticipation of the events.
News Article:
Belagavi Protests Spark Detentions as Karnataka Legislature Winter Session Begins
Belagavi, India – December 8, 2025 – Police in Belagavi, Karnataka, were kept busy today, detaining members of two separate organizations amidst heightened tensions surrounding the opening of the Karnataka legislature’s winter session.
The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), a group advocating for the inclusion of Belagavi into the state of Maharashtra, attempted to hold a “Maha Melava” (grand gathering) near the Vaccine Depot. Authorities had previously denied permission for the event, citing security concerns. Despite the denial, MES leaders, including Manohar Kinekar, Malojirao Ashtekar, and Shubham Shelke, were taken into custody as they attempted to lead a protest march towards the planned gathering site. Protesters continued to demand the inclusion of Belagavi in Maharashtra.
Simultaneously, members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a group opposing the MES’s demands, also attempted to march toward the Vaccine Depot to protest the “Maha Melava.” Police intercepted both groups, detaining several members from both factions, including KRV district unit president Deepak Gundanakatti and Wazod Hirekaddli.
Adding to the unrest, a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus traveling from Haliyal to Pune was stopped in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, by Shiv Sena activists. The activists affixed “Jai Maharashtra” stickers to the bus in protest against the denial of permission for the MES gathering in Belagavi.
Authorities had implemented increased security measures around the Suvarna Soudha (Legislative Assembly building) and other key locations in the city ahead of the winter session and the planned, but unauthorized, MES gathering. The situation remains tense as the legislature session continues.
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