Ready to include Kannada areas into Karnataka: CM Basavaraj Bommai

BENGALURU: Throwing down the gauntlet to Maharashtra that has often claimed Belagavi should be part of its geography, CM Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said he was ready to include all Kannadiga-dominated panchayats, taluks and districts from Maharashtra into the southern state if they passed a resolution in this regard.
The CM's statement came in the light of a debate over the border dispute and language row in Belagavi which has taken an unseemly turn in the past four days. Stating that Maharashtra's parties have been trying to rake up the border dispute time and again for political gains, he said Karnataka has accepted the Mahajan Commission report on the dispute. At the same time, he said, Karnataka was ready to protect the interests of Kannadigas living in the border areas of the neighbouring state.
At the same time, he said, Karnataka was ready to protect the interests of Kannadigas living in the border areas of the neighboring state.
Bommai cited an example of 40 gram panchayats in Jath tehsil of Sangli district which have passed a resolution that they be included in Karnataka after they expressed disappointment that Maharashtra was not able to provide them water for irrigation.
"Now, this dry land area – where Kannadigas are in a majority -- has passed the resolution to be added into Karnataka. We (Karnataka) are ready to include all those areas, except for those regions where the Mahajan report states that the status quo shall be maintained," said Bommai.
He said the state has always tried to maintain cordial ties with Maharashtra, but has been unsuccessful in the border area, which has remained tense over the years following the birth of Maharashtra Ekikarna Samiti.
"The MES was once a strong power centre, but its influence has been waning in Belagavi and the border dispute appears to be its way of trying to regain influence. However, it has been rejected by the people of the district," he said.
On demand for banning MES, the CM said he will secure legal opinion in this regard.
The CM, during his statement on the border row, said he will speak to his counterpart in Maharashtra to resolve the law-and-order issue in that state as Kannadigas have been targeted over this issue.