Nagpur: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Mr Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday condemned the statements by the Karnataka minister Mr CN Ashwatha Narayan, BJP legislator Mr Laxman Savadi and the Karnataka Congress chief (DK Shivakumar) over the border dispute. Mr Narayan had demanded that the Centre should declare Mumbai as union territory while Mr Savadi said Mumbai belongs to Karnataka. However, Mr Fadnavis declared that ‘’Mumbai belongs to the state and not to anyone’s father. Maharashtra will not tolerate anyone’s claim over it.’’
He said that the state government will send letters to the Union Home Minister Mr Amit Shah and the Karnataka Government conveying the state government’s strong protest. Mr Fadnavis said in his reply after leader of opposition Mr Ajit Pawar who claimed such statements should be condemned especially after the Maharashtra Legislature unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday with a resolve to pursue legal case in the Supreme Court for the inclusion of Marathi speaking 865 villages and Belgaum Bidar, Karwar, Nipani and Bhalki cities in Maharashtra. Mr Pawar claimed that Karnataka CM and ministers have been hurting Maharashtra’s pride by their remarks and state government’s response is not strong.
’Maharashtra Legislature has passed the resolution as per the state government’s claim made on border issue in the Supreme Court. No new claim was made in the resolution. It is true that at the meeting convened by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka it was decided that both states will refrain from making any new claim. Maharashtra is following as decided in the meeting but Karnataka is not doing so. Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra and it does not belong to anyone’s father. No one’s claim in this regard will be entertained. This House condemns the statement of the Karnataka minister,’’ said Mr Fadnavis.
‘’Karnataka Minister's statement claiming Mumbai is wrong. We condemn it as it is the Violation of what they (Karnataka) agreed to before the Home Minister. It will be communicated to the Home Minister as it is not good for the bilateral relations of the two states. These things will also be brought to the notice of the Union Home Minister. The request will be made to the Union Home Minister to give a stern warning to Karnataka,’’ said Mr Fadnavis.
Earlier, Mr Pawar said that the state government should warn the Karnataka minister and a legislator who demanded that Mumbai be declared union territory. The government should take an aggressive stand to convey that such incidents will not be tolerated again.
‘’Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister should strongly protest the statements of the Karnataka Government,’’ said Mr Pawar. He claimed that ‘’Laxman Savadi of Karnataka has rubbed salt on the wounds of Marathi-speaking people by saying that Mumbai is a part of Karnataka.’’
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MP Mr Sanjay Raut reiterated that the Centre should declare the disputed area (Karnataka occupied Maharashtra)as the union territory as the Marathi-speaking people have been oppressed for the last 75 years.
