‘Why is Maharashtra govt silent on claim that Marathis are minority in Belgaum?’

Continuing its aggressive stance on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday questioned the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s silence over Karnataka governments’ attempt to show that the Marathi-speaking population in Belgaum region has reduced

Continuing its aggressive stance on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday questioned the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s silence over Karnataka governments’ attempt to show that the Marathi-speaking population in Belgaum region has reduced. The Sena Member of Parliament said MVA ministers, who are appointed as coordinators over the dispute, must visit Karnataka and take up the issue.

Continuing its aggressive stance on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday questioned the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s silence over Karnataka governments’ attempt to show that the Marathi-speaking population in Belgaum region has reduced (HT File)

The Sena chief spokesperson said the Karnataka government has shown a decreasing number of Marathi-speaking people in the border areas for their political gains. He said he will speak to chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray over the issue.

According to a recent report, the Karnataka government had logged the Marathi population in the border areas, including Belgaum, Karwar, Nipani, at about 15%, which is a lie.

“The Maharashtra government must take a stand in this matter. I don’t understand why it has remained silent on this. The state government has appointed two ministers — Eknath Shinde and Chhagan Bhujbal — as coordinators over the border dispute. They must immediately go there (Karnataka) and engage with leaders in the border area. If the Maharashtra government does not feel the need to take any steps in this matter, then it is unfortunate. I will definitely take up this matter with CM,” Raut said.

The Shiv Sena has been aggressive with the border dispute as it is in line with its Marathi manoos ideology and helps the party to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. Raut said that over 65 villages in the border areas had about 60% Marathi natives when the state was carved out in 1960.

“Even today, the Marathi population is around the same. The Karnataka government has converted the entire region to Kannada-speaking by making it the second capital and by buying lands belonging to the Marathi people. By doing such things, they have tried to show a lower percentage of Marathi-speaking population in these areas for their political gains... If they are saying that [Marathis] are in minority with 15% [of the population] then this is a lie. This report is completely untrue and there has to be some conspiracy behind it,” he said.

The Sena, which had backed the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti in the recently concluded Belgaum municipal elections, said Marathis are in majority in border areas. The Belgaum municipal corporation polls showed that Marathi candidates got more votes than BJP candidates. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti candidates got 67,000 votes, while BJP got around 44,000 votes, he said.