Mangalore : The members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike stage protest in front of DC Office on November 25, Friday against the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray for his remark on Jnanpith awardee Kannada writer Chandrashekara Kambara recently.

Addressing the protestors, Dr. Annayya Kulal, honourary president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike said that

He said that Chandrashekara Kambara is the senior littérateur and his statement on the marathi speaking population in Karnataka was part of his speech and it did not mean to hurt any one. He had also said the people of Belgaum to call it as Belgavi and this was his love for Kannada. But it doesn’t mean that Bal Thackeray must have lose talks about such great Jnanpith awardee.

He also said that Bal Thackeray on behalf of the eight crore Marathi people in Maharashtra, demanded that the Jnanpith committee should take back the award from Kambara, which is condemned. He has no right to advice the committee since they select the person for the award looking at their worth.

Criticizing the statement of Bal Thackeray to physically attack Kambara, Kullal said that Thackeray cannot even come closer to his feet and he do not dare to touch him too, he said.

Kannadigas will hold a ceremony to honour Kambara for his jnanith award and if he dare he must stop it, he said.

They also burnt the effigy of Bal Thackeray with the slogan against him.

KRV district president Jayaprakash Shetty, working president George PV, Chandrahas Rai Pilar, Farooq Kinya and Ravi Shetty Madoor were present.