Former-Mayor, Corporator quit BCC

BELGAUM: Expressing their protest against the show-cause notice served by the state government to Belgaum City Corporation (BCC), four-time Belgaum mayor Sambhajirao Patil resigned from the corporation here on Thursday.Kannada corporator Gourish Kammar accompanied Patil and submitted his resignation to Belgaum Mayor Manda Balekundri.Patil, along with his supporters arrived at the corporation and tendered his resignation letter written in Marathi to the Mayor, who refused to accept it. Patil then left the letter in her office. Kammar, an associate of Patil, too, resigned, despite being a Kannada corporator.Later, while addressing the media, Patil averred that his resignation was a mark of protest against the state government.”The state government has committed grave injustice to Marathis living in the border areas,” he said, while pointing out that the government, instead of initiating action against the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike for ransacking the offices of the mayor and her deputy on Rajyotsava day, has served show-cause notice to the corporation.Ready to Step Down, says MayorMayor Manda Balekundri on Thursday offered to resign, stating that the state government has been meting out injustice to Marathis living in the border areas. She told reporters here on Thursday that as discussed in the council meeting on Wednesday, the Marathi corporators of the Belgaum City Corporation will meet on Friday and decide about resigning  en-masse.