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Maharashtra-Karnataka row: Ajit Pawar wants 'strong reply' from Shinde-Fadnavis to Bommai

 



The border dispute started after CM Bommai claimed that some villages in Maharashtra's Sangli district, which are facing water crisis, have passed a resolution seeking merger with Karnataka.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said on Friday that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis should give a befitting reply to Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai for claiming several regions of the state as their own.

According to a PTI report, Bommai had claimed that predominantly Kannada-speaking panchayats in Jat taluka of Sangli district had passed resolutions for merger with Karnataka in the past when there was severe drought situation and acute drinking water crisis.

"The Maharashtra CM and deputy CM should give a befitting reply to Bommai. I have already condemned his statement. No one should ever think of taking an inch of Maharashtra land," the NCP leader said in reports here. "

The border dispute started after CM Bommai claimed that some villages in Maharashtra's Sangli district, which are facing water crisis, have passed a resolution seeking merger with Karnataka.

However, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis refuted the claims, saying that no such village has sought merger with Karnataka. He had also said that no village in Maharashtra would go to Karnataka.

Fadnavis wrote on Twitter, "No village in Maharashtra will go to Karnataka! The state government will fight vigorously in the Supreme Court to get Marathi speaking villages including Belgaum-Karwar-Nipani."

Responding to these comments, CM Bommai wrote on Twitter, “Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has given provocative statement on Karnataka Maharashtra border issue and his dream will never come true. Our government is committed to protect the country's land, water and borders."

Maharashtra CM Shinde insisted that his government will not let even an inch of Maharashtra land go to anyone.

We are working to provide justice to the Marathi people in the border areas. Not even an inch of space will be allowed in Maharashtra. It is the responsibility of our government to solve the problems of 40 villages," Shinde told reporters as quoted by ANI.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party "cannot run away from the Karnataka issue".

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