In the midst of the ongoing border conflict between the two states, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced on Monday that he will persuade his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde not to send his Ministers to Belagavi since it may disturb the law and order situation in the border area.
The Karnataka CM said that the border conflict with Maharashtra was resolved and that he had previously given the relevant officials instructions regarding the precautions to be taken should they proceed with the visit. He also stated that the government would not hesitate to pursue any legal action.
On December 6, Maharashtra Ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai are expected to meet with MES activists in Belagavi, Karnataka, and have discussions with them over the border conflict. “Our Chief Secretary wrote to their (Maharashtra’s) Chief Secretary when Maharashtra Ministers announced that they would be visiting Karnataka to advise them not to come in the current climate as it may cause peace and order crisis here and their visit won’t be appropriate,” Bommai added.
He told reporters in Hubballi that despite this, they have indicated they will come to Belagavi, which is wrong. “While there is peace between the people of Maharashtra and Karnataka, a boundary issue also exists.
Karnataka claims that the boundary conflict is resolved, but Maharashtra frequently brings it up and has even taken it to the Supreme Court, according to Bommai.
Such actions and visits at the time that the issue is before the Supreme Court are provocative and would incite the populace, he said, adding that he will once more make this request of the Maharashtra Chief Minister. The two ministers were scheduled to go to Belagavi on December 3 under the previous itinerary. A pro-Maharashtra group called MES has been battling in Belagavi’s border regions for the union of the 800-plus villages with that state.
Later in Bengaluru, Bommai reiterated the government’s position about the anticipated visit of the Maharashtra Ministers, saying that police and revenue department officers had been given orders to take the required steps aimed at upholding peace and order. “Although we are aware that everyone in our nation is free to roam about as they like, the government does have the authority to take some measures in order to maintain peace and order. I have already instructed everyone on the necessary steps to maintain law and order,” he said.
The Chief Minister stated that he will ask his colleague in Maharashtra, saying, “The border conflict has already been resolved, therefore these activities are wrong. However, since you have petitioned the Supreme Court, let’s pursue legal action. There is peace between the citizens of the two states, thus there should be no attempt to undermine the law and order in this area.” The boundary issue started in 1957 after states were divided up according to linguistic distinctions.
Belagavi, which was a part of the former Bombay Presidency and has a sizable Marathi-speaking population, was claimed by Maharashtra. Additionally, 814 Marathi-speaking villages that are today a part of Karnataka were claimed by it.
Karnataka contends that the linguistic boundary demarcations made in accordance with the Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report are conclusive. In addition, Karnataka constructed the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled after the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of legislative in Bengaluru, and a parliamentary session is conducted there once a year as evidence that Belagavi is a fundamental component of the state.
