Border row: PM Modi should clarify his stand on the issue, says Uddhav Thackeray

Words from the top

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming to inaugurate the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway (on Sunday) and we welcome him. During his visit, he should clarify his stand on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. He will have to address a host of issues plaguing the state when he comes for the inauguration of the expressway,” Thackeray said.

“He should speak about the Karnataka chief minister who is staking claim on some villages in Maharashtra,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) president said.

The border row between Maharashtra and Karnataka has heated up with incidents of violence being reported from border areas of both states.

The dispute 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 staked claim to 814 Marathi-speaking villages, which are currently part of Karnataka.

Collegium system — yay or nay?

Thackeray criticised Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for their statements against the collegium system.

Last month, Rijiju had said that the collegium system was “alien” to the Constitution, while Dhankhar, in his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, criticised the judiciary for scrapping the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), terming it as an instance of “severe compromise of parliamentary sovereignty”.

Slamming the statements made against the collegium system, Thackeray asked that if judges can’t appoint judges, then can the prime minister choose them.

He further claimed that even after eight years, the Supreme Court is still hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the controversial decision of the Union government to demonetise currency notes of ₹500 and ₹1,000.

“When will people who suffered due to demonetisation get justice?” he asked.

Also Read: Maharashtra approaches SC over border dispute with Karnataka

Brandishing the pen

Thackeray said that writers can play an important role in changing society and asking questions to the rulers.

“Writers should ask questions to the rulers. Merely holding seminars and discussions is not enough, they should come on to the streets and ask questions to the rulers for their wrongdoings,” he said.

“Freedom is at stake. Those who speak against rulers, are being sent to jail,” Thackeray added.

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