Amid the raging border dispute with Maharashtra, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday, December 6, said that the harmony between people of both states should not be disturbed. He expressed his government's commitment to protect the state's borders and the interest of Kannadigas here and in other states. He also said that he was confident about Karnataka winning the legal battle on the border dispute, as the state's stand is both legal and constitutional.
CM Bommai's statement comes amid reports that a Maharashtra ministerial delegation that was likely to visit Belagavi may not come on Tuesday, and amid a war of words between ministers in Maharashtra, accusing CM Bommai of raking up the border issue ahead of the elections next year. "There is no relationship with upcoming assembly elections and Karnataka's stand on the border issue, for many years now, it is Maharashtra that has been raking up the issue. As Maharashtra has disputed there is reaction from Karnataka," he said in response to a query.
Speaking to reporters, the CM maintained that there is harmony between people of both states and it should not be disturbed. "The case is before the Supreme Court, our stand is both legal and constitutional, so we are confident that we will win the legal battle. So there is no question of us wanting to create an issue out of it for the sake of elections. We are committed to protect the state's borders and our people, and also the interests of Kannadigas living in Maharashtra, Telangana and Kerala " he added.
Maharashtra ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, along with an MP, were scheduled to meet the activists of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) at Belagavi on Tuesday and hold talks with them on the border dispute. On Monday, CM Bommai had asked his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde not to send his ministers to Belagavi, as it may disrupt the law and order situation in the border district.
He had also instructed the officials concerned regarding the measures to be taken in case they go ahead with the visit, and had made it clear that the government will not hesitate to take any legal action.
Belagavi district administration on Monday had issued orders barring entry of the Maharashtra delegation to the city. Deputy Commissioner and district magistrate Nitesh Patil had issued prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC.
Watch TNM’s Pooja Prasanna explain why the border row has flared up again: