Maharashtra-K'taka border row: CM Bommai speaks to Amit Shah; Centre to call both CMs next week
Last night, the Chief Minister said that the Maharashtra delegation meeting with Shah on the border dispute will make no difference and that his government will not make any compromises on the issue.
FollowKarnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he had given details about the state's position and facts about the raging border dispute with Maharashtra to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is expected to convene a meeting of both states' Chief Ministers next week.
Additionally, the Chief Minister said, on Saturday, that the state government plans to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the issue soon.
The Chief Minister's statement came after a delegation of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (opposition coalition in Maharashtra) parliamentarians met with Shah on Friday to discuss the border dispute with Karnataka.
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Bommai said, "I have requested that a delegation of our MPs meet with (Amit Shah) on Monday. I've also spoken with Shah. He said he would send information and call the Maharashtra Chief Minister and me in two to three days. That meeting will most likely take place on December 14 or 15."
While talking to the media, the Chief Minister said that he had already informed Shah about Karnataka's position and facts regarding the dispute and specifics.
"On Monday, our MPs will share all the details," the Chief Minister continued, "And as soon as he (Shah) calls, I will go and reiterate Karnataka's position before him."
Last night, the Chief Minister said that the Maharashtra delegation meeting with Shah on the border dispute will make no difference and that his government will not make any compromises on the issue.
Mentioning that Maharashtra had previously attempted this, he said, "The case is currently before the Supreme Court. Our legitimate case before the Supreme Court is strong."
In response to the question on the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah's demand that the government convene an all-party meeting to discuss the border dispute, Bommai said on Saturday that he would speak to both Siddaramaiah and JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy.
"I spoke with Siddaramaiah yesterday and told him I would keep him updated on the latest developments. I will speak with both Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy," he said.
The border dispute erupted earlier this week, with vehicles from both sides targeted, leaders from both states weighing in, and pro-Kannada and Marathi activists detained by police in the border district of Belagavi.
Following this, the Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra spoke on the phone and agreed that peace and law, and order should be maintained on both sides.
The border issue dates back to 1957 when states were reorganised along linguistic lines. As Belagavi has a sizable Marathi-speaking population and was once a part of the Bombay Presidency, Maharashtra claimed it. It also claimed 814 Marathi-speaking villages that are now part of Karnataka.
Karnataka views the linguistic demarcation established by the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report and the States Reorganisation Act as final. To show that Belagavi is an integral part of the state, Karnataka built the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, which is modelled after the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the legislature in Bengaluru, and holds an annual legislative session there.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Also read:Â Maharashtra, Karnataka leaders speak on phone as Belagavi border row escalates
