Maharashtra legislature passes resolution to ‘legally pursue’ inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking Karnataka villages into state

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The Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to “legally pursue” inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the western state, amid the raging boundary dispute between the two states.

The resolution moved by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature said the Karnataka legislature had passed a resolution on the issue to purposely fuel the border row and condemned the southern state’s stand. “The state government stands resolutely with the Marathi-speaking people in 865 villages and cities of Belgaum (also called Belagavi), Karwar, Nipani, Bidar and Bhalki that are being contested in the Supreme Court,” said the resolution passed in the Maharashtra legislature. “The state government will legally pursue in the Supreme Court the case to include (in Maharashtra) inch and inch of land of Belgaum, Karwar Bidar, Nipani, Bhalki cities and the 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka,” it added.

The Maharashtra resolution said when the chief ministers of the two states had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, it was decided that till the Supreme Court gives its judgement in the matter, it should be ensured that the issue does not flare up any further. However, the Karnataka government took a contrary stand by passing a resolution in its state Assembly. The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly last Thursday unanimously passed a resolution on border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the southern state’s interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour.

The resolution had also condemned the border dispute “created” by Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) on Tuesday demanded in the Maharashtra Assembly that the 865 villages be declared as a Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives its verdict on the issue. However, it did not figure in the resolution. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the Assembly that the case is pending before the Supreme Court and it also has to be ensured that there is no contempt of court while putting forth the demand, as the matter is sub-judice.

Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to more than 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.