Declare disputed border areas union territory: CM

KARNATAKA MIN SAYS THACKERAY IS RAKING UP ISSUE TO DEFLECT ATTENTION FROM MVA GOVT’S POOR PERFORMANCE

MUMBAI: While raking up the Maharashtra-karnataka border dispute row, chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday demanded that the Centre declare the disputed border areas in Karnataka as union territory (UT) till the Supreme Court’s verdict on the dispute.

The CM said that it was a “now or never” battle for Maharashtra and that the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was committed to resolve it by inclusion of the disputed areas in the state.

Since the formation of Maharashtra, the two neighbouring states have been in a dispute over Belgaum and other areas where Marathi speaking people reside in large numbers. Maharashtra has staked claim on these areas and the issue is pending with the Apex court.

While Maharashtra and the Marathi-speaking people in the disputed border areas have been peacefully fighting the battle, the Karnataka government has been suppressing their voice with arrogance, Thackeray said on Wednesday while speaking at Sahyadri guest house after release of Maharashtra Karnataka Simawad : Sangharsh Ani

Sankalp (Maharashtra-karnataka Border Dispute : Struggle and Resolve).

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, state ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Eknath Shinde, leader of Opposition in legislative council Pravin Darekar shared the dais. Former CM Devendra Fadnavis did not attend the function.

“When the issue is pending in the Apex court, Karnataka government changed Belgaum’s name, set up their second capital there, and held legislative sessions. The Marathi-speaking mayor was booked under sedition charges for taking a pro-marathi stand. This is nothing but oppression of Marathi-speaking citizens in the border areas. This leads to contempt of court. There is a need to declare the disputed areas as union territory to restrain the Karnataka government from unilateral action,” Thackeray said.

Karnataka water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi on Wednesday said that Thackeray was raking up the issue to deflect attention from the poor performance of his government. He said that people in Karnataka have not discriminated against anyone and that no importance should be given to the CM’S statements. “The CM has failed in all aspects and he is using this border issue to emotionally sway people to deflect their attention. No importance should be given to this,” Jarkiholi, who is also the district in-charge minister of Belgaum, said.

Pawar said the petition was the last resort for Maharashtra to bring the disputed areas of Belgaum, Karwar and Nipani in the state. Darekar said it was a battle being fought for the Marathi-speaking people and should be treated beyond politics.

Later in the day, Thackeray chaired a meeting of the state government’s high-power committee constituted to take the state’s legal battle on the issue forward. Thackeray directed the committee to ensure that the legal battle was expedited.

“We will lead an all-party delegation to the Centre on the issue to ensure inclusion of Belgaum, Karwar, Nipani in Maharashtra at the earliest,” he said.