Maha Minister Patil booked for making 'provocative' speech

Bangalore (PTI): An FIR has been filed against Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil by Karnataka police for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race or language for his alleged provocative speech on Belgaum issue, a bone of contention between the two states. Patil has also been booked under Representation of People Act for violation of the election code for the May 5 assembly poll in the state, police said here on Thursday. The FIR was filed for "provocative utterances" by Patil, according to Belgaum Superintendent of Police Sandeep Patil. Belgaum police, which filed the FIR on Wednesday, is probing the case and would take legal action accordingly, the SP said. In his speech, Patil had allegedly made provocative remarks while recalling the incident when the then Belgaum Mayor, Vijay Pandurang More, was attacked in Bangalore several years ago for a resolution by the civic body seeking merger of Belgaum and several other Marathi-speaking areas with Maharashtra. The FIR has been registered under Sections 153(A) of IPC for provoking and creating disharmony between communities on religion, race, place or birth or language and under the Representation of People Act, police said.