Amid the border dispute brewing between Maharashtra and Karnataka, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the state won't give up an inch of land and, if need be, he would approach the Supreme Court and the Centre.

Shinde's statement comes a day after he tabled a resolution over the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row, that was unanimously passed by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The resolution sought to legally pursue the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the state.

While talking to reporters on Thursday, Eknath Shinde said, "We are doing the work of giving justice to the Marathi people in the border areas. Not even an inch of space in Maharashtra will be allowed to go anywhere." "It is our government's responsibility to solve the problems of 40 villages," he added.

Earlier, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai's remarks on the border dispute between the two states and called the latter "possessed".

Addressing the state legislative council on Wednesday, Shinde said, "Karnataka should not challenge us, we will not give up an inch of land in the 865 villages, including Belgaum, Nipani, Karwar, Bidar and Bhalki."

"We will do whatever it takes, in a legal way, to prevent injustice to our Marathi-speaking people. We will also request the Supreme Court and the Central government to intervene in the matter," said the Maharashtra CM.

As per the resolution, the Maharashtra government will stand behind the Marathi people in border areas and will go for a legal fight in the Supreme Court to ensure that these areas become a part of Maharashtra.

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed a resolution a week after a resolution moved by CM Basavaraj Bommai condemning the border dispute “created” by Maharashtra was unanimously passed by the Karnataka Assembly.

The resolution passed by the Karnataka Assembly read, "There is no compromise on the matters relating to Karnataka's land, water, language and Kannadiga's interest. The feelings of Karnataka's people and members (of assembly) is one of this subject, and if it is affected, we are all committed to unitedly take constitutional and legal measures to protect the interest of the state."

Fadnavis had said that no village in Maharashtra would go to Karnataka.

"No village in Maharashtra will go to Karnataka! The state government will fight strongly in the Supreme Court to get Marathi-speaking villages including Belgaum-Karwar-Nipani," he had tweeted.

Reacting to the issue, Pawar said, "After claiming the villages of Jat taluka in Sangli district, now the Karnataka Chief Minister has claimed Akkalkot and Solapur too. I strongly condemn the statement of the Karnataka Chief Minister. Our Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should give a strong answer. The centre should intervene immediately. The case is pending in court. It's to distract people and divert attention from inflation, unemployment."

Pawar also made an ironic remark that now only Mumbai is left to be demanded.

Karnataka CM Bommai had earlier said that the border row has become a political tool in Maharashtra, and any party in power will raise the issue for political purposes. My government is capable of protecting the borders of Karnataka and has taken steps also, Bommai had said.

All the war of words broke out after Bommai claimed that some villages in Maharashtra's Sangli district, which are having a water crisis, passed a resolution seeking a merger with Karnataka.

However, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister denied the claims and said no such village has recently sought a merger with Karnataka.