Rajyotsava celebrations were toned down in Belagavi and Dharwad districts due to the COVID-19 restrictions on Sunday.
In Belagavi, where the annual State re-organisation festivities used to be a day-long affair that stretched well into the night, the celebrations were reduced to only a few hours.
The day also witnessed some disturbances with the police using lathis to disperse a crowd that threw stones at a private passenger from Maharashtra and the arrest of Kannada activists who tried to disrupt a Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti meeting.
District in-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi spoke to a small crowd at the CP Ed College Grounds on Club Road. He received the guard of honour from the police and other forces.
The routine performance by school children of songs and dances were cancelled due to the schools not being in session in the extended lockdown.
Mr. Jarkiholi asked young people to be proud of their heritage and to do their bit to preserve the language and culture of the land. MLAs, MLCs, Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath, Superintendent of Police Lakshman Nimbaragi, Police Commissioner K. Thiyagarajan, and other officers were present.
In Dharwad, Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar inaugurated the celebrations. He garlanded the statues of Deputy Channabasappa and K.G. Kundanagar, leaders of the State reorganisation movement.
Mr. Shettar asked young people to read and understand the history of the land to appreciate the sacrifices of the early cultural leaders. He thanked and honoured some Corona Warriors, including doctors, nurses and police and other personnel.
MLAs, MLCs, zilla panchyat members, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil, Police Commissioner Labhu Ram, Superintendent of Police Krishnakant and other officers were present.
