From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 8: Industry Minister M B Patil has strongly defended his cabinet colleague, Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on her statement that Belagavi was part of Maharashtra before Independence and said that what the minister said was not wrong and factually correct.

“All of us know that Belagavi was part of Maharashtra before Independence just as Mumbai and Hyderabad were part of the then Madras State. It is a historical fact and what she (Hebbalkar) said is factually correct,’’ Patil said pointing out that after reorganization of States different parts were given to Karnataka.

Speaking to media persons, Patil said those who want to criticize Hebbalkar are interested in creating unnecessary political controversies to be in the news.

While M B Patil hails from Vijayapur while Laxmi Hebbalkar is from Belagavi district and both belong to the political powerful Lingayat community.

The minister made it clear that he had not opposed Kantharaju commission report on backward classes. “All we did was demand that the mistakes in the report must be rectified,’’ he said pointing out the religious pontiffs belonging to backward classes urging the government to accept the report is a different issue.

There is no justification for creating controversies, he added.

Asked about the demand for creating three posts of Deputy Chief Ministers, the minister said that he would not like to comment on such things in the public. “If I am asked for my views, I will definitely express my views. But that will be in the party forum,’’ he said.