MANGALURU: Charging Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray with reigniting the border dispute to garner publicity, Karnataka minister for rural development and panchayat raj KS Eshwarappa on Sunday said that the former was deliberately stoking controversy since his popularity in the neighbouring state was on the wane.
Eshwarappa, participating in a government programme in Bantwal, said that Uddhav continued to make unfounded statements despite being privy to the Mahajan Commission Report. “It is common to find people, the popularity of whom is sliding, attacking strong ones. This is why he is making such statements about Karnataka to get the Backing of Marathi-speaking people. The Mahajan Committee Report’s finding is the last word on the dispute,” Eshwarappa said.
On the other hand, Eshwarappa downplayed reports of disgruntlement within the BJP. “There is nothing wrong with MLAs holding separate meetings. I too held a meeting with Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kora Shrinivas Poojari,” he said.
The minister, who unveiled the multi-village drinking water project in Sarapady in Bantwal taluk, set up at an estimated cost of Rs 62 crore, assured the people of the state government completing the ‘Mane Mane Gange’ project, undertaken as a part of Jal Jeevan Mission, within three years.