Protestors demand merger of Belgaum with Maharashtra. Recent clashes are being blamed on this issue.

A prank SMS circulated in Belgaum by miscreants led to communal clashes resulting in the death of two people in the last 24 hours.

The police have imposed prohibitory orders in several sensitive areas of Belgaum, which is at the centre of a five-decade-old controversy involving Karnataka and Maharashtra.

On Sunday afternoon, a SMS started circulating in Belgaum about an alleged attack on a place of worship by one particular community. Soon, it resulted in a clash between two major communities leading to the death of one person on Sunday evening. The second death was reported on Monday morning after another victim of the clash succumbed to injuries.

Miscreants attacked a bus driver on Monday morning in Gandhinagar area, injuring him seriously. According to the police, the victim, who was unaware of the clashes, was driving the bus belonging to the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation when he was attacked. His condition is said to be serious.

In all, three cars, two autorickshaws, one KSRTC bus and scores of two-wheelers were damaged in the violence. Houses belonging to a particular community also came under attack. As a precautionary measure, the district administration declared a holiday for schools and colleges in Belgaum on Monday.

"So far, we have arrested 36 people from both communities for causing violence in Belgaum. We are also tracing the origin of the SMS alleging communal violence. The situation is under control now," Belgaum police said,

Additional Director General of Police Bipin Gopalakrishna has been deployed to Belgaum to monitor the situation. The government has rushed additional forces to the district as a precautionary measure.

The communal clashes happened at an inopportune time in Belgaum, which is already reeling under tension because of the dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra. Both states claim the city falls within their borders.

Though several courts and the Mahajan Commission have ruled out merging Belgaum (which has a dominant Maratha speaking population) into Maharashtra, the neighbouring state has not stopped claiming the city citing linguistic and cultural reasons.

Maharashtra, which approached the Supreme Court two years ago on the same issue, passed a resolution in the state assembly in July this year urging the Centre to declare Belgaum as a Union Territory because it was a "disputed region".

Meanwhile, Karnataka is trying everything to consolidate its position. Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, a colossal building that will house the state's legislature, is nearing completion.

Estimated to cost nearly Rs 450 crore upon completion, Suvarna Vidhana Soudha will see Karnataka's legislature holding its winter session every year in Belgaum.

The Maratha residents of Belgaum treat Suvarna Vidhana Soudha as a "hurdle" in the inclusion of Belgaum into Maharashtra. The city became part of Karnataka during the reorganization of the states on linguistic grounds post Independence.

Pro-Kannada organizations alleged that the communal clashes were "orchestrated" by a section of Belgaum to draw the nation's attention to the city.

"Now that their tactics have failed, they are resorting to such dangerous approaches. We must quell such actions at the initial stage itself," said H Sathya, a leader of Kasturi Kannada Jana Vedike.

