MYSORE: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accused Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray of politicising the Belgaum issue.
At a function organised to dedicate the new campus of College of Horticulture to State in Yalachanahalli on Sunday, he said the Sena leader should stop playing up the issue for political gains as the Mahajan Report is final on Karnataka-Maharastra border row.
Referring to former Minister Umesh Katti’s demand for a separate state of North Karnataka, he said he would not give much importance to the former’s statement. Clarifying that the government is not in favour of making it the second capital of the state, he said Belgaum is an integral part of Karnataka. There is no question of dividing the state, he said.
On Governor Vajubhai Vala favouring 50 per cent reservation for women in all fields, he said the Congress had provided 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and is in favour of a similar quota in legislative assemblies and Parliament.
‘No Secret Letter’
Siddaramaiah denied the reports that he has written a ‘secret’ letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi against Cabinet expansion or reshuffle.
“I don’t know from where you are getting these stories,” he added.