Karnataka should not challenge us Eknath Shinde on border dispute

The border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra is far from resolved. Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, declared on Wednesday that the state will not give up even an inch of land in the 865 Marathi-speaking villages. "Karnataka should not challenge us; we will not give up one inch of territory encompassing 865 villages such as Belgaum, Nipani, Karwar, Bidar, and Bhalki," Shinde stated on the floor of the Maharashtra Assembly.

The chief minister further stated that his government will do everything possible to guarantee that Marathi-speaking people are treated equitably. "We will do whatever we want in a legal way; we will request the Supreme Court and the Central Government," he added.

On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government passed a resolution to "legally pursue" the incorporation of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into their state. Shinde introduced the resolution in both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature, stating that the Karnataka legislature had passed a resolution on the matter on purpose to inflame the border dispute.

Last week, Karnataka passed a resolution to protect the state's interests and refuse to cede even an inch of land to its neighbour. While welcoming the resolution, former chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray said the disputed area should be declared a union territory until the Supreme Court rules on the issue.

Before the resolution was passed, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis attacked Uddhav Thackeray, stating that the Sena leader did nothing as chief minister for 2.5 years and that the border conflict started before the current administration took power.

Because of its large Marathi-speaking population, Maharashtra claims Belagavi (now in Karnataka), a portion of the ancient Bombay Presidency. It also contended over 800 Marathi-speaking villages, which are now incorporated into Karnataka. The linguistic boundary established by the States Reorganisation Act and the Mahajan Commission Report of 1967 is considered final in Karnataka.