MES youth leaders detained in Belagavi over alleged SC/ST hate speech

Two Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti youth leaders were taken into judicial custody in Belagavi on October 22, 2026, on charges under the Prevention of Atrocities against SC/ST Act. Police from the Khadebazar station arrested Shubham Shelke and Manohar Hundri, leaders of the MES youth wing, linking them to a complaint filed in January 2025. The complaint, lodged by Raju Talwar of the Walmiki Yuvaka Sangha, accused the two of using abusive language against SC/ST communities during an MES rally that same month. Officers said the duo ignored several police notices to appear, prompting their arrest. A court remanded them to judicial custody until November 4 and sent them to Hindalga Central prison. The arrests took place at the Belagavi police headquarters. Shelke denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the police seized him without prior notice to stop a planned “Black Day” protest slated for November 1, the day Karnataka celebrates its Rajyotsava. He claimed the detention was politically motivated and part of a broader harassment of MES activists fighting for Marathi‑speaking residents’ rights.

Context

The Prevention of Atrocities against SC/ST Act is a national law aimed at protecting historically marginalized groups from hate speech and violence. Karnataka’s Rajyotsava marks the state’s formation day and often sees cultural and linguistic tensions, especially between Marathi and Kannada speakers in border districts like Belagavi.