Border row: Karnataka won146;t stand split along language

High drama marked Karnataka8217;s special Legislature session with the Opposition Congress forcing the government to pass a resolution...

High drama marked Karnataka8217;s special Legislature session with the Opposition Congress forcing the government to pass a resolution to reiterate its stand on the border dispute with Maharashtra.

The Legislature today unanimously passed the resolution stating that the Mahajan Report was final on any border dispute with neigbhouring states and a decision to mount pressure on the Centre to stick to the report. The resolution also said Meharchand Mahajan, who submitted the report on October 25, 1966, had outrightly rejected Maharashtra8217;s demands.

8220;Notwithstanding this, Maharashtra has been changing its stand on the border issue,8221; the resolution moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy read. The resolution was not listed for the day, but the Congress at its Legislature Party meeting decided to press for a resolution to be passed to reiterate that Belgaum was part of Karnataka and the Mahajan report was final.

After an adjournment in the Assembly, forced by altercations between the Opposition and the Treasury Benches, the House met again with the government agreeing to the Congress proposal. The CM read out the resolution which was similar to that of the Congress, except for replacing the word 8220;Belgaum8221; with 8220;state borders8221;.

The issue rocked the Legislative Council as well with altercations between the Opposition and the ruling members. When the House reassembled, Higher Education Minister and leader of the Upper House DH Shankaramurthy moved the resolution which was seconded by Opposition leader HK Patil.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM RR Patil kicked up a fresh storm at a rally in Belgaum. He offered to Karnataka the Kannada-speaking areas of Maharashtra in return for the Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka in a quid-pro-quo deal. Saying that he 8220;saluted8221; the spirit of the Marathis of the border disputed areas, Patil assured that their struggle would not go in vain and warned the Karnataka government of a backlash if injustice was meted out to them.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, however, rejected this offer asserting that the Mahajan report on the subject was final and the state government did not want to deviate from it.