BELAGAVI: The Maharashtra leaders have not given a hoot to the decision taken by Union Minister Amit Shah at the recent meeting of Karnataka-Maharashtra Chief Ministers in connection with the boundary row between the two states.
Senior Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra Sanjay Raut stirred up yet another controversy on Wednesday stating that "Like China has entered the country, we will enter Karnataka. We don't need anyone's permission. We want to solve it through discussion but Karnataka CM (Basavaraj Bommai) is igniting fire.''
However, Raut's statement did go well with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who reacted sharply retorting "Just like how Indian soldiers chased Chinese soldiers away, we all Kannadigas will do the same (If people from neighbouring state entered the state)."
Speaking to a section of media in Belagavi on Thursday, Bommai said "We are not a country so that we will be attacked by others. We are all living in the same nation. Anyway, I will give a fitting reply (to Raut) and also bring this issue to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's notice." The CM further said he would give a detailed reply to Maharashtra leaders in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Earlier, he said, "Given the way Maharashtra leaders are speaking on the row inside the legislative assembly and outside going out of the way, they have lost their mental balance. They are bent upon politicising the issue which is not possible. The NCP leaders did resort to similar kinds of politics in the past but failed. They will fail yet again," said Bommai.
He however said the leaders of opposition parties in Maharashtra should stop issuing irresponsible statements on the boundary issue.
"I would also like to say something to the Congress leaders of Karnataka a. We have spoken to our party leaders in Maharashtra and the Congress leaders should also speak to their leaders there. It is not an issue which can be resolved on the streets and that is why Maharashtra has moved the Supreme Court. And now, when the Maharashtra leaders have realised that the case in the apex court is getting weaker, they are trying to gain political mileage out of it. I am sure, they will not succeed in it," he added.
Raut was responding to Bommai's statement in the legislative assembly that a resolution will be passed to send a strong message to Maharashtra over the boundary row. In connection with the raging boundary dispute, he said, there is a weak government in Maharashtra which is not taking any stand on it. The Karnataka CM is deliberately adding fuel to the fire as the Maharashtra government, which is weak, is not ready to take a firm stand on the boundary dispute, Raut had said.
Boundary discussion in Maharashtra assembly
A heated discussion took place on boundary row in the ongoing Maharashtra government's winter session at Nagpur today. NCP senior MLA Jayant Patil urged the government not to release water to Karnataka from the Maharashtra dams (Koyna dam) during a discussion on the boundary dispute in the Maharashtra Assembly.
"Karnataka CM is very arrogant and he should be replied in the same language which he uses. The height of dams including Koyna in Maharashtra should be increased to stop the release of water from Maharashtra dams to Karnataka," says Jayant Patil.
Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai also stated today in Nagpur if Bommai did not stop making irresponsible statements, Maharashtra would have to rethink about water supply from its dams to the neighbouring state.
Karjol hits back
An enraged Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol hit out at the Maharashtra leaders stating that the dams in Maharashtra are not the personal properties of Maharashtra MLAs. The work of increasing the height of dams and releasing water from them is not at all in the hands of Maharashtra leaders, he said, adding that the Maharashtra legislators should speak responsibly in the Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP governments in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Centre for their inability to handle the long-drawn boundary dispute between the two states.
Before the start of day's proceedings at the winter session in Suvarna Vidhan Soudha in Belagavi on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said in spite of the appeal made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure peace in connection with the border row, the Maharashtra ministers continued to issue irresponsible statements on it. "If the Maharashtra ministers do not stop, we are also capable of speaking out," he added.
On the demand of Maharashtra, the Centre had formed Meherchand Mahajan Commission to resolve the boundary dispute between the two states, and yet the Maharashtra leaders and government continued to rake up the issue, he said, adding that Maharashtra state did not have respect for the law and their leaders were resorting to 'goondagiri' over the dispute for no logical reason.
Maharashtra BJP in shambles: Priyank Kharge
Alleging that the BJP administrative machinery in Maharashtra is in total shambles, lacking discipline and coordination, MLA Priyank Kharge has said Union Home Minister Amit Shah called the CMs of Karnataka and Maharashtra only because Maharashtra BJP administration lacked coordination and discipline.