BENGALURU: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said Karnataka will effectively fight against the Maharashtra government’s claims over the border in the Supreme Court. He expected a “good outcome” based on the Constitution and the States’ Reorganisation Act, with the case likelyto come up before the Supreme Court soon.
Informed sources said, “The case, however, is unlikely to come up before the SC on Wednesday as expected, since the Constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph is still hearing another matter. Only if that stops, the border case will be placed.”
But Bommai, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, claimed that he and state Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi briefed state counsel Mukul Rohatgi on the background of the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue and its legal status.
“In 2017, then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra had framed preliminary issues regarding the maintainability of the case, which was challenged by Maharashtra. What should be our objections or arguments to it has been decided and we are all prepared to justify our legal stand,” he asserted.
On the damage caused to Karnataka vehicles in Maharashtra recently, Bommai said such things had happened earlier too because of local politics.
But he claimed that the situation is under control now.
On Kannadigas from 42 villages in Maharashtra, which are close to the border, wishing to meet him with a demand to merge their areas with the state, Bommai said any decision can be taken only after an all-party meeting. Also, a legal opinion has to be taken as the issue is before the Supreme Court, he added. “This is not new. They have been demanding it for many years as they do not have even basic infrastructure,” he said.
On Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah questioning him over the merger of the villages with the state, Bommai shot back, asking why he did not do it when he was the chief minister.
“When he (Siddaramaiah) was the chief minister, a similar resolution was made. Why did he not get those areas into Karnataka? For joining parts of the other state, things have to be considered legally. I’m a responsible chief minister and everything has to be done within the constitutional and legal framework,” he added.