‘Committed to protecting interests’ of Karnataka, Assembly passes resolution on border row with Maharashtra

“There is no compromise on the matters relating to Karnataka’s land, water, language and Kannadiga interests. The feelings of Karnataka’s people and members (of the Assembly) are one on this subject, and if it is affected, we are all committed to unitedly taking constitutional and legal measures to protect the interest of the state,” said the resolution that Bommai moved.

“Condemning border disputes created by Maharashtra people unnecessarily, this House unanimously passes a resolution that it is committed to protecting the interest of the state,” it added.

‘Will do everything’

Earlier while replying to the debate on the border issue in the House, the chief minister said that it was the will of the people of Karnataka not to cede even an inch of the state’s land to Maharashtra.

“We will do everything to protect it, we will take all the measures required in this direction,” he said.

Condemning Maharashtra’s political leaders’ “conduct” on the border issue, Bommai said, “If they continue like this, we will take legal action.”

He also called Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut an “agent of China” and a “traitor”, hitting back at his statement that Maharashtra would enter Karnataka the way China had “invaded” Indian territory.

Escalating threats and actions

The latest escalation from Karnataka comes amid a number of developments that have exacerbated the issue despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah stepping in to try and defuse it.

On the Maharashtra side, its minister Shambhuraj Desai said on Wednesday that his state would have to rethink supplying water from its dams to its neighbour if Bommai continued making “irresponsible” statements on the border row.

Earlier this month, the state threatened to dissolve the 11 gram panchayats that expressed their wishes to join Karnataka.

Raut, meanwhile, demanded that Belagavi in Karnataka be turned into a Union Territory to solve the border dispute.

(With PTI inputs)