Border dispute with Karnataka rocks Maharashtra winter session

Former CM and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray outside Vidhan Bhavan in Nagpur on Monday. Pic/ANI

Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka that want to be merged with Maharashtra be brought under the Centre's rule till the border dispute is decided by the Supreme Court. Thackeray and other opposition parties made the most of the opportunity on Monday - the first day of the second week of the session.

The Opposition raised the issue in both houses and outside, raising slogans and initiating debates. Opposition Leader in the Council Ambadas Danve tabled a motion to discuss the border dispute. Thackeray participated and hit out at CM Eknath Shinde and the BJP in the state and the Centre.

Speaking in the Legislative Council in the winter session in Nagpur, Thackeray also demanded that a resolution to condemn the Karnataka government-inflicted police atrocities on the local people and anti-Maharashtra statements made by the Karnataka CM and leaders be tabled and passed in the Legislature on Monday itself, as was promised by the government.

Also read: Border row with K'taka: Maha will fight even for an inch of land, says Fadnavis

‘Where's CM?'

He said the dispute was not a subject of restructuring of the states on a lingual basis, but between two states. "The CM has gone to Delhi. In fact, it was wrong to travel when the issue has been taken up here. The question is what did he [the CM] do when he had a meeting with the Union home minister? We have made a law to make Marathi signboards compulsory in Maharashtra and some people have moved the court against it. Will the Maharashtra government act against its Karnataka counterpart?" he said, expecting the Centre to act as a responsible parent while governing the disputed area as an Union territory.

Thackeray also advised the government against blabbering. "When Belgaum corporation resolved to merge with Maharashtra, the Karnataka government dissolved it. Will you dissolve the gram panchayat in Maharashtra [that has resolved to merge with Karnataka]? Don't just blabber, but take a hard stand and pass a resolution to condemn Karnataka. Will the CM be allowed to return from Delhi? Will his aircraft turn back midway?"

"The Karnataka CM has been speaking hard each day. He said Sanjay Raut is a Chinese agent. Where did he discover it," he asked. Thackeray submitted a pen drive containing a documentary and linguistic history and a criticism of a report of the border dispute by former CM A R Antulay. "The evidence should be shown to the members.

The new members will know what the issue is about. The Maharashtra government never harassed the Kannadigas who are staying here, but the Karnataka government has never ceased from inflicting atrocities and false police cases on the Marathi-speaking people," he said.

Fadnavis dares Karnataka

In the lower house, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the resolution cannot be tabled on Monday because the CM had to go to Delhi for an urgent meeting with the Centre. "The resolution will be tabled after his return, today or tomorrow. However, there has to be an appropriate time to table such a resolution," he said.

"I tell you here that nobody has the guts to threaten the Maharashtra CM or DCM. We will not let anyone claim an inch of land. We will fight tooth and nail in the court and elsewhere," Fadnavis added.

Agitation in Kolhapur

A number of people came down to Kolhapur on Monday to participate in an agitation organised by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti. All-party leaders participated in the agitation.

Earlier, Opposition Leader in the Assembly Ajit Pawar demanded the resolution to give the Karnataka government a fitting reply. "The Karnataka CM is deliberately making inciting statements and he got a resolution passed in the House that hurt the Marathi pride. Let's send a strong message that the entire Maharashtra is with the people staying in the border areas."

Citing that Maharashtra leaders were barred from entering Karnataka, Pawar said, "In view of this, the people from Karnataka have come to Kolhapur to represent their grievances."