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Updated May 2nd, 2022 at 15:40 IST

Karnataka CM slams Ajit Pawar for raking up border issue to gain 'political advantage'

Karnataka CM Bommai reacted to Ajit Pawar's remark on the border dispute & said that whenever the Maha govt faces a political crisis, they speak such language.

Reported by: Ajay Sharma
Basavaraj Bommai
Image: ANI | Image:self
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After Ajit Pawar made a remark on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute, saying he would continue to support the campaign to make Marathi speaking villages in Karnataka, a part of Maharashtra, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai reacted sharply and said that whenever the government in Maharashtra faces a political crisis, they create controversy for their political advantage. Adding further, CM Bommai said that the Maharashtra government is at rock bottom and to survive politically, they say such things.

Speaking to reporters over Ajit Pawar's controversial statement on unifying Marathi speaking places in Karnataka with Maharashtra, Chief Minister Bommai on Monday said, "Whenever there is a political crisis in Maharashtra, which there is now. The entire government hits rock bottom. So just to survive politically, they do this." Bommai was referring to the current law and order situation in Maharashtra as well as the corruption cases against several ministers in the state. Adding further that Karnataka is not going to bow down, he said, "We stand firmly by our decisions. They also know it. I strongly urge, the politicians of Maharashtra, not to use this language for their politics," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

Ajit Pawar's remark 

On the occasion of Maharashtra Day, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that he would continue to support the campaign to make the Marathi-speaking villages at the border, including Belgaum, Nipai and Karwar, a part of the state.

"While celebrating the 62nd foundation day of Maharashtra, we regret that the several Marathi speaking villages at the border including Belgaum, Nipai, and Karvar couldn't be part of Maharashtra yet. Every citizen of Maharashtra backs the fights of residents of these Marathi speaking villages to be part of Maharashtra. I want to assure you that we would keep supporting their fight till these villages become part of Maharashtra," Pawar said.

Former CM of Karnataka, H D Kumaraswamy also reacted sharply to Pawar's remark and tweeted, "Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has once again displayed arrogance. In the past, he had spoken low about Karnataka & Kannadigas. Again he has let his tongue wag, this is reprehensible." 

"In Pune, he has made an immature statement that his government is in favour of getting the Marathi speaking areas in Karnataka into Maharashtra. If that is case, then he should not forget that a majority Kannada speaking areas are included in Maharashtra. In 1947, we got Independence, in 1950 we became a Republic after which States were reorganised on linguistic basis. Even during the Amrit Mahotsav of the Independence, Ajit Pawar talking about border dispute only shows that his brain is working in retrogressive mode," Kumaraswamy said in series of tweets.

Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute

Maharashtra wanted a readjustment of its boundary with Karnataka in 1957, after being treated unfairly by the execution of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. It used Section 21 (2) (b) of the Act to file a memorandum with the Ministry of Home Affairs, expressing its opposition to the addition of Marathi-speaking districts to Karnataka.

The act, which went into effect on November 1, 1956, split states along linguistic lines. Maharashtra claimed 814 villages in the districts of Belagavi (Belgaum), Uttara Kannada, Bidar, and Gulbarga, as well as the towns of Belagavi, Karwar, and Nippani, totalling approximately 7,000 square kilometres along the border with Karnataka. Maharashtra desired these areas to be integrated with the state because they are largely Marathi-speaking.

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Published May 2nd, 2022 at 15:40 IST

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