Maha-Karnataka border row: CM, Dy CM should give befitting reply to Bommai, says Ajit Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Friday said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis must give a befitting reply to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for laying his state’s claim on several areas of Maharashtra.

Bommai had claimed predominantly Kannada-speaking panchayats in Jat taluka in Sangli district had passed resolutions in the past to merge with Karnataka when there was a severe drought situation and acute drinking water crisis.

He had also sought the merger of Solapur and Akkalkot areas of the state with Karnataka.

Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said, “Without any reason, the Karnataka CM is making such statements. The CM and Deputy CM of Maharashtra should give a befitting answer. I have already condemned Bommai’s statement.” No one should ever have the thought of taking even an inch of Maharashtra’s land, the NCP leader added.

“On the other hand, the fight to bring Karvar, Belgavi and Nipani into Maharashtra has been underway for long and the border dispute is in the Supreme Court. The statement government should appoint top lawyers for the case,” he said.

The responsibility of coordinating Maharashtra’s efforts in the border dispute has been given to ministers Shambhuraje Desai and Chandrakant Patil and the opposition will cooperate completely with them, Pawar asserted.