Kalyana Karnataka Rajya Jagruti Samiti workers detained for demanding separate state for the Kalyana Karnataka region

KALABURAGI : The members of Kalyana Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Jagruti Samiti were detained for demanding a separate state for the Kalyana Karnataka region as the state celebrates its 70th Karnataka Rajyotsava day on Saturday.

On Karnataka Rajyotsava Day, the Kalyan Karnataka Prathek Rajya Jagruti Samithi held a protest in Kalaburagi demanding a separate state for the Kalyan Karnataka region. The protesters claimed that the Kalyan Karnataka region has been neglected by the government for several years, which is why they are advocating for statehood.

Sanjeev Kumar Dongargav, a member of the Samiti, demanded decentralisation, arguing that decentralisation would bring administration closer to the people, enhance basic facilities, and ensure more equitable revenue distribution.

“Karnataka is big, the population has increased since 1947, and there are various benefits for decentralisation. Due to decentralisation, basic services are provided, and governance control is with us, ensuring more equitable revenue distribution.My only demand is decentralisation…I believe everybody benefits from this process,” said Dongargav.

In Belgavi, the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) is observing a Black Day protest on Karnataka Rajyotsava, calling for the inclusion of Belgaum and the surrounding areas into Maharashtra.

MES leader Manohar Kinekar stated that the protest is being held due to historical grievances stemming from the 1956 state reorganisation. He emphasised that they demand the merger with Maharashtra every year and will continue to protest until their demands are met.

“On November 1st, while Karnataka observes Rajyotsava, we are observing Black Day due to historical grievances stemming from the 1956 state reorganization. We, being Marathi, were included in Karnataka, a Kannada-speaking state, instead of Maharashtra… Annually, we protest on November 1st, demanding the merger of our area into Maharashtra, and until our demand is met, we will continue to observe Black Day, a practice we have upheld for over seven decades,” Kinekar said.

#WATCH | Karnataka | Kalyana Karnataka Pratyeka Rajya Jagruti Samiti workers detained as they hold a protest in Kalaburagi demanding a separate state for the Kalyana Karnataka region. pic.twitter.com/ObCeaCr2DB

— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2025

Meanwhile,  Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, during the 70th Karnataka Rajyotsava, announced that all establishments in the state of Karnataka should have a Karnataka flag apart from the National flag. The Deputy Chief Minister praised Karnataka as a welcoming state that embraces people from all sections of society. He emphasised that the state’s greatest strength lies in its culture and traditions. To promote this further, he stated that all establishments in Karnataka should display the state flag alongside the National flag.

“It is a very great 70th year of Karnataka Rajyotsava we are celebrating. Mother Bhuvaneshwari is accepting everyone. You see, this is the 70th year we are celebrating. We are receiving all section of society to Karnataka, Bangalore. They are coming, they are looking at, because of the best resources, best, good rivers, good employment opportunity and all of them are adjusting here. That is the divine strength of Bhooneshwari. So I wish all the people who are staying in Karnataka a very happy and prosperous life. You see this year, some dams are built, filled twice, thrice. This is the great strength what our rich culture has. The biggest strength of Karnataka and Karnataka is our culture and tradition. We would like to take forward, but at the same time, we are on the way of processing. Keeping from the next year, one month every month, in every establishment, offices, they should have a Karnataka flag, and respect the Kannada flag. We, myself also, my chief minister also, in every office, we are already using it. Apart, along with our national flag, Karnataka as a separate flag. That is the biggest strength and which history has given to us,” DK Shivakumar said.

The November 1 marks the Formation Day for several Indian States and Union Territories, commemorating their reorganisation and establishment over the decades. States such as Karnataka, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh were formed on this day in 1956, while Chhattisgarh came into existence in 2000 after being carved out of Madhya Pradesh. Puducherry celebrates its Liberation Day on November 1, marking its de facto transfer from French to Indian administration in 1954. (ANI)