Stating that people of Maharashtra and Karnataka always enjoyed a cordial relationship, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah opined that territorial barriers should not come in the way of fostering relationships.
Receiving felicitation from Solapur District Congress Committee at Solapur on Sunday, he said that people of both the states always lived together enjoying mutual respect.
He said, “Marathi is not alien to Kannada speaking people in Karnataka and both the languages got strengthened by absorbing each other.”
Recalling the contributions of great people who were born in Maharashtra, including Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sahu Maharaj and Jyothibha Phule, Siddaramaiah said, “All these souls had fought to lift the spirits of the socially exploited classes across the country.”
Expressing regret that some vested interests were trying to vitiate things using language as a weapon, the Chief minister said, “In a federal structure, the Constitution demands all state governments to see it to that the interests of all, including linguistic minorities, shall be looked after well.”
Stating that Congress is the only party which can accommodate the aspirations of all the sections of the society, he said, “Congress does not believe in dividing the society on the basis of language and religion.”
Referring to the problems being faced by the Kannada speaking people in border areas, Siddaramaiah promised to look into their demands for a five per cent reservation in the admissions to professional institutions and also government jobs. Chief Minister has thanked the people of Maharashtra for felicitating him.