Border dispute: Maharashtra threat to reconsider water supply from its dams to Karnataka

Desai and Chandrakant Patil, both Cabinet ministers, were last month named as nodal ministers to coordinate with the legal team regarding the court case on the state’s border dispute with Karnataka.

Interacting with reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Nagpur, Desai slammed Bommai over the Karnataka government’s stand that not an inch of land would be given to Maharashtra.

The Karnataka legislature has reiterated the state’s stand that the border issue is a settled one, and not an inch of land will be given to the neighbouring state.

Explainer: What the Karnataka-Maharashtra border row is all about

During a debate on the border dispute in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Bommai suggested passing a unanimous resolution in both Houses of the state legislature reiterating and asserting the stand.

Desai said he condemned such comments, which do not suit Bommai as he holds a constitutional post.

‘Threatening language is not good’

When the case is sub-judice, a chief minister using such “threatening language” is not good and he should stop it, Desai said.

Belagavi police prevented Kannada activists from entering Belagavi City to protest the Karnataka-Maharashtra row. (Supplied)

“Even Maharashtra can reply in the same language, and he should not provoke us,” he added.

Maharashtra is being patient and Bommai should keep in mind that the southern state is dependent on water supply from the Koyna and Krishna dams (in Maharashtra) during the dry season of March and April, he said.

“If Karnataka does not stop (making such statements), then Maharashtra will have to rethink about the water being supplied to the neighbouring state,” Desai said.

Maharashtra stands firm with the Marathi-speaking people residing in the border areas, he added.

On Tuesday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil said Maharashtra should raise the height of the upstream dams to “rein in” Karnataka.

Also read: North Karnataka weavers take out a massive rally in Belagavi

The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.

Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizeable 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 is final.

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