K'taka to pass resolution amid border dispute with Maha

Both Houses of Karnataka legislature will be passing a resolution on the border dispute with Maharashtra.

The legislature reiterated the state's stand that the issue is a settled one, and not an inch of land will be given to the neighbouring State.

During a debate on the border dispute in the legislative assembly on Tuesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai himself suggested passing a unanimous resolution in both Houses of the State legislature reiterating and asserting the stand.

"If everyone agrees, while giving the government's reply on the border issue debate, we will pass a resolution reiterating the State's stand in both Houses of legislature. Already we have passed several such resolutions, we will reiterate it," he said.

Members of all political parties including Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah agreed.

Initiating the debate, Siddaramaiah said there is no question of any dispute, and the border issue is already settled with the Mahajan Commission report.

With him recently attending a meeting of chief ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra, called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently, drawing some criticism from the Opposition Congress, Bommai said, "There is no ambiguity or confusion" and that he has reiterated the State's stand very clearly at the meeting, without any dilution.

"I'm the last person to do such a thing on matters concerning the interest of the State. I will not go back an inch from the State's stand, which is the same as the one taken by the governments that have ruled this State so far," he said.

Siddaramaiah had earlier said the chief minister should not have gone to a meeting called by the Union Home Minister, because Maharashtra wants to project that there is a border dispute, to keep the issue alive, and to use it politically.

Also, the chief minister should not have accepted the proposal for constituting a committee consisting of three Ministers each from both the States.

Reacting to this, Bommai said the meeting of chief ministers convened by the Union Home Minister was regarding law and order, and in a federal set-up "we had to attend the meeting, where our State's stand was clearly put forward."

"Home Minister in the meeting said the solution for this issue can be only through Constitutional and legal means as the case is before the Supreme Court, it cannot be settled on the streets, and peace should be maintained at all cost," he said, adding that the Ministerial committee from both sides is to maintain peace and to resolve smaller issues between the two States.

Senior Congress MLA H K Patil, too, raising objections to Bommai attending a meeting of chief ministers called by Shah, said the maintainability of Maharashtra's petition on the border dispute is pending before the Supreme Court. In such a situation, agreeing to forming a three- member committee from both sides raises a question.

"...is the situation so grave, has the law and order situation deteriorated in Belagavi, is our (Karnataka) Home Minister incapable of handling the situation," he asked.

To this the CM retorted, "don't over read things."

"On border issue, we have always spoken with one voice. As a chief minister, as someone from this region, I'm speaking with responsibility and I'm speaking truth...we have taken the case very seriously, there is no dilution in our stand either before the Prime Minister or Union Home Minister or the Supreme Court, it is very clear," he said.

Patil also sought a suo moto statement by the Chief Minister on the border dispute and the stand taken by the State at the meeting called by the Union Home Minister with Maharashtra Chief Minister.

Siddaramaiah, earlier initiating the debate on the border dispute, accused Maharashtra of repeatedly raking up the issue, which is a non-issue, for the sake of politics, for a long time now with a malafide intention. "It looks as though they have forgotten that they are living in a federal set-up."

Leaders across the party line also criticised the move by certain elements and political leaders and activists in Maharashtra wanting to enter the State unlawfully or by force, as Bommai expressed his government's commitment to protect the interest of people living in the border areas and Kannadigas living on the other side of the border.

The row had intensified in the last couple of weeks, with vehicles from either side being targeted, leaders from both the States weighing in, and pro-Kannada and Marathi activists being detained by police amid a tense atmosphere in Belagavi.

The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of States on linguistic lines. Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizeable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to over 800 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.

Karnataka maintains the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.

And, as an assertion that Belagavi is an integral part of the State, Karnataka has built the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of legislature in Bengaluru, and a legislature session is held here annually.