The vexed Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary row sparked minor violence in the border city of Belagavi on Tuesday, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis to take the matter with the southern State Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and announced that he would speak to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard.
A day ahead of the start of the Winter Session of Parliament in New Delhi, the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row escalated in Belagavi as “Karnataka Rakshana Vedike” (KRV) stopped trucks bearing Maharashtra registration numbers and smeared them with black ink and hurled stones at one of the trucks damaging it extensively.
While Fadnavis asked Bommai to initiate action against those behind Tuesday’s violence in Belagavi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar warned the Karnataka Chief Minister that if the violence did not stop within 48 hours, then Maharashtra — which had hitherto been maintaining “restraint” — would have no alternative but to “take a different stand in the matter”.
Pawar also said he would visit the affected areas in Karnataka if the Bommai dispensation did not restore normalcy in the border areas in the next two days.
Following the incidents of violence, two Maharashtra Ministers, Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai, cancelled their scheduled visit to Belagavi.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police detained as many as 100 KRV and Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), an organisation fighting for the inclusion of the Marathi-speaking villages in the border areas, as a precautionary measure.
Taking serious cognisance of the incidents in Belagavi, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis spoke to the Karnataka Chief Minister and asked the latter to restore normalcy in the border city.
Interacting with media persons in Mumbai, Fadnavis said, “I spoke to the Karnataka Chief Minister and expressed my displeasure and concern over the incidents in Belagavi.” I asked him to initiate action against the miscreants behind the incidents.”
“The Karnataka Chief Minister assured me that his Government would act against those behind the violence. He also assured me that his Government would support or spare anyone behind the violence.”
“While we are keeping a watch on the assurances given by the Karnataka Chief Minister, I will also take up the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Because, we are interested in development and we can ill-afford to have conflicts between the two States. Our Constitution has given freedom of movement to the citizens in the country. People in the country have the freedom to visit any State, do business or live in any state. If citizens’ rights are being violated in any state, the local government will have to take action in the matter,” Fadnavis said.
Replying to a question, Fadnavis said while he anticipated some “reaction” in Maharashtra to the violence in Karnataka. He, however, appealed to the people in the State to maintain calm and restraint.
In a related development, Pawar charged that an “atmosphere of fear” had been created in the border areas of the two states following statements by the Karnataka Chief Minister.
“Maharashtra has so far maintained restraint, but our people will not remain quiet for long. If these attacks don’t halt within 48 hours, we will have to take a different stand. Then the Karnataka CM will be responsible for the consequences,” Pawar said. Pawar exhorted the Chief Ministers of the two States to work towards an “urgent” and “amicable” solution for the current situation. Pawar asked Maharashtra MPs — who are planning to meet Shah — to convey that if attempts were made to take law into hands by vested interests, the Centre would be blamed for the consequences.
Shiv Sena (UBT)’s former Minister Aditya Thackeray and Chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut came down heavily on the ruling BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for contributing to the current situation in the border area. They said the ruling alliance partners and the Maharashtra Government “got scared” by the Karnataka Chief Minister’s “scolding” and were handling the situation in a timid manner. They said the Shinde-Fadnavis Government to take immediate steps resolve the border row between the two States and stop “injustice” being done to the Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka.