Make Belgaum a Union Territory till the dispute is in the court, demands CM

NCP chief Sharad Pawar stresses upon forceful arguments by the state in the SC in Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. Maharashtra Minister for Coordination for Border Dispute Cell Eknath Shinde says government will appoint additional lawyer in the case

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Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the Center turn the disputed border region of Belgaum into a Union Territory till the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute case is pending before the Supreme Court of India. However, the Karnataka government has done a disservice to the court by renaming Belgaum as the second capital and erecting a state legislature there. He said this while chairing the high powered committee on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute at Sahyadri State Guest House.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar stressed upon the need for the state in making forceful arguments in the case before the apex court. Maharashtra Minister for Coordination for Border Dispute Cell Eknath Shinde announced that the government will appoint additional lawyer in the case.

The Chief Minister stated that all party delegation needs to forcefully argue its case before the Center. Thackeray added that even as the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, Karnataka government is wiping out Marathi language from the disputed areas which needs to be stopped. He further stated that the Center needs to adopt the impartial role of a guardian when there is dispute between the two states.

Alleging that the Karnataka government was trying to destroy Marathi language from the disputed region even when the matter is in the apex court, hence efforts will have to be made to ensure status-quo is maintained. All need to set aside their differences and work towards ensuring that the disputed region is joined to the state of Maharashtra. All need to forcefully argue that the disputed region is Marathi speaking and belongs to Maharashtra, he added.

Generations of people from the disputed region are facing the atrocities of the Karnataka government and it is necessary to unite against it as before. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray released a book titled “Maharashtra-Karnataka Border Dispute – Struggle and Resolve” amidst slogans “We shall stay in Maharashtra or else stay in Jail” and “Sanyukta Maharashtra (unified Maharashtra) should happen Belgaum along with Nippani” were raised by Marathi speaking representatives from the disputed border region.

After several days, the Chief Minister said that the issue was being addressed through a book. “The state government is serious about the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute and we have given the message that we are strongly behind this,” he said. The strength of Marathi will be lent on the side of the Marathi speaking people in the disputed border regions with strength.

While commenting on the book, NCP chief Sharad Pawar stated that the book has some shortcomings. Late Maharashtra chief minister A R Antulay had made immense contribution to the issue. Despite making efforts that our demands should be 100% agreed to and some were even being agreed to, yet those demands were not met in the end. Today we are demanding that Nippani be included in Maharashtra, years ago it was agreed to be merged into Maharashtra.

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 The NCP chief said that historical documents were presented before the court. The Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (Maharashtra Unification Committee) was set up in which many leaders joined and the first Satyagraha was led by me and later Chhagan Bhujbal led a Satyagraha for the Shiv Sena. For some months Bhujbal was put behind bars and tortured. But generations of Marathi speaking people from the disputed border regions are facing untold torture.

Pawar said that the matter is in its last chapter before the apex court. The state government should make all preparations, take all precautions and measures in forcefully arguing the case. We may have our differences on other issues, but let us unite on this issue. The report by the Mahajan Committee was anti-Maharashtra. This created a different atmosphere in Maharashtra.