K'taka legislature to pass resolution on border row

December 20, 2022 19:39

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.

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K'taka legislature to pass resolution on border row

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