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Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute: The decades-old row has come up when it is expected to be taken up in the Supreme Court soon.
The Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute has resurfaced amid remarks from both the state governments over the claim on villages in the border region. The comments by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai earlier this week and those by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis come as a court hearing in the decades-old matter is expected soon. Amid the fresh controversy, the state of Maharashtra witnessed protests against Bommai in some parts. While the BJP is ruling Karnataka, which goes to polls next year, it is a coalition partner in Maharashtra where Shinde’s revolt against Uddhav Thackeray had brought back the party in power earlier this year.
Here are ten points on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute:
1) Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shinde asserted that “not one one inch of land will go anywhere”. "We are doing the work of giving justice to the Marathi people in the border areas. Not even an inch of space in Maharashtra will be allowed to go anywhere. It is our government's responsibility to solve the problems of 40 villages," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
2) The fresh controversy over the matter had erupted after Shine - earlier this week - appointed two ministers to coordinate with the legal team in the matter. The matter was expected to come up in the Supreme Court on November 23 but has been delayed.
3) Bommai also claimed this week that some panchayats in the border region had passed resolutions in the past to merge with Karnataka.
4) Amid the comments, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also issued remarks on the highly emotive issue. "No village in Maharashtra will go to Karnataka! The state government will fight strongly in the Supreme Court to get Marathi-speaking villages including Belgaum-Karwar-Nipani," he tweeted. Bommai called the comments "provocative".
5) The opposition in Maharashtra has jumped in taking aim at the ruling BJP in both the states. "The Karnataka Chief Minister is giving his statement on border issues. It seems like Karnataka CM Bommai has been possessed for suddenly staking a claim on 40 villages in Maharashtra?" Uddhav Thackeray said.
6) His ally and former deputy CM - Ajit Pawar of the NCP - also sought the central government’s intervention over the issue.
7) In Karnataka too, the opposition has also sought review. Congress's Siddaramaiah - the leader of the opposition in the state assembly - demanded the constitution of an advisory committee, including him, to take stock of the row.
8) The dispute dates back to the 1940s. In 1948, Belgaum municipality had put in a request that the district - with a majority of Marathi-speaking population - be included in the proposed Maharashtra state.
9) India’s states were reorganised on a linguistic basis in 1956. Gradually, Belgaum and 10 other talukas of Bombay Presidency were made part of Mysore state. Mysore was renamed Karnataka in 1973.
10) In 2004, Maharashtra had moved the Supreme Court and the legal tussle has continued.
(With inputs from ANI)
