UDDHAV RAISES MAHA-K’TAKA BORDER DISPUTE

Bringing up the border row with Karnataka yet again, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the areas dominated by the Marathi-speaking people should be declared as a UT till the SC delivers its verdict in the case.

The Karnataka government, however, called it a move to deviate attention from the “poor performance” of the Maharashtra government. Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani which are a part of Karnataka, on the grounds that a majority of the population in these areas is Marathi-speaking.

Calling it a “now or never battle”, Thackeray accused the Karnataka government of suppressing the voices of the Marathispeaking population in the disputed areas. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was also present at the event, said SC was the “last weapon for the state” to ensure the disputed areas are brought under its control.

Refuting the allegations of discrimination against the Marathispeaking section in Belgaum, Karnataka’s water resources minister Ramesh Jarkiholi said: “The CM has failed in all aspects and he is using this border issue to emotionally sway people to deflect their attention.”