Border Row With Karnataka: Maharashtra Will Fight Even For An Inch Of Land, Says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday asserted that his government will fight for even an inch of land, amid the ongoing boundary dispute with Karnataka, reported news agency PTI. Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Fadnavis said the state government will do whatever it can to ensure the Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka get justice.

The border issue echoed in the ongoing Winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday, with the opposition demanding a resolution on the issue.

Notably, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution on border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the southern state's interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour.

The resolution which was moved by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was adopted by a voice vote. The resolution had condemned the border dispute “created” by Maharashtra. 

On Monday, raising the issue in the Maharashtra Assembly, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar asked why did the government not move the resolution on the border row when it was decided in the Business Advisory Committee that a proposal on it would be moved in the first week of the winter session.

The proposal to move the resolution also did not figure in Monday's business list, he pointed out.

Pawar said the statements by Karnataka chief minister have "hurt the pride of Maharashtra".

Responding to it, Deputy CM Fadnavis said the resolution could not be introduced last week as the situation was not conducive, an apparent reference to the suspension of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil who was suspended on Thursday for the rest of the session for his remark against Speaker Rahul Narvekar.

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