Maha should stand behind people from Marathi-speaking areas of K'taka: Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said the state should stand firmly behind people in the Marathispeaking areas of neighbouring Karnataka and appealed to political parties not to behave in a way that would hurt themMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government will initiate a special programme for the development of villages located along the border and resolve their pending issuesThe Maharashtra government was making efforts for the release of the people and leaders detained in Karnataka he said amid the ongoing boundary dispute between the two statesRaising the issue in the Assembly on the first day of the state legislatures winter session in Nagpur Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Mane of the Shinde faction was stopped from entering Belagavi in Karnataka despite the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the boundary disputeWhen it was decided before Amit Shah ji that they people will not be stopped how can a district collector stop the MP Mane from entering there We should not tolerate this high handedness The CM and DyCM should take a firm stand When Karnataka Chief Minister B S Bommai had accepted it then the collector did not listen to Bommai Pawar saidResponding to it Shinde said there can be no dispute over the fact that the issue raised by Pawar is important in terms of MaharashtraFor the first time the Union home minister intervened in the matter and mediated He called a meeting and this has happened for the first time He has taken the matter seriously the CM saidAlso Read There should not be any politics Eknath Shinde on MaharashtraKarnataka border issueWe should stand by the people residing in border areas back their struggle and act in a way that doesnt hurt them he addedShinde said the state government urged the Centre that this issue is related to the selfrespect of Maharashtra and that it should take a firm stand in the favour of Maharashtra and people residing in the border areasWe said vehicles from Maharashtra are vandalised and attacked This is not in sync with law and order and democracy Such things should not happen because there could be a reaction to an action the CM saidThe Union home minister also gave instructions that such things should not happen since the matter is pending before the Supreme Court Shinde saidWithout naming former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray Shinde said the earlier government had stopped schemes pertaining to the welfare of people residing in border areas while his government has again started them in four monthsWe have got information from the police which parties are behind the resolution passed by some border villages of Maharashtra to merge with neighbouring states We have all the information Shinde saidHe said an irrigation project worth Rs 2000 crore for 48 villages in Jat taluka in Sangli was cleared by the cabinet on Sunday Villages in Jath have been facing the issue of water problem for decadesIn the state Legislative Council its Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve also raised the issue of the simmering border row and condemned the ban imposed by the Belagavi district authorities on Shiv Sena MP Mane from going thereAre we living on the IndiaPakistan border that such things are happening Danve askedHe said the Maharashtra government should take a strong stand on this issue MLCs Shashikant Shinde Abhijeet Wanjari and Jayant Patil also raised concerns about the Maharashtra leaders not allowed in KarnatakaReplying to it Deputy CM Fadnavis said the state government will initiate a special programme for the development of villages located along the border and resolve their pending issuesHe said the Maharashtra government stands firmly with residents of villages located along the Karnataka border and it was wrong of the neighbouring state to stop the Maharashtra leaders from going thereThe Maharashtra government condemns this and will convey it to the Karnataka government he saidFor the first time the Union home minister has intervened in this issue and held talks with the chief ministers of both the statesKarnataka CM Bommai said they do not want to escalate the issue as it is pending before the Supreme Court Fadnavis notedBoth the chief ministers have said the escalation of the issue should stop Fadnavis added and informed that a committee of three ministers from both the sides has been formed so that a dialogue should continue for the deescalation of the disputeThe Council proceedings were later adjourned for the day after paying respects to the deceased legislatorsTalking to reporters in the Vidhan Bhavan complex Fadnavis said It was decided before the Union home minister that people from both the states will not be stopped from crossing the border and visiting the neighbouring areasHowever the Karnataka government did not allow people from Maharashtra to participate in a local morcha organised democratically We will also discuss the issue with Karnataka chief minister he saidLok Sabha member Mane was supposed to attend the rally organised by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti MES but was denied permission to visit BelagaviThe MES has been demanding the merger of Belagavi with Maharashtra claiming the district has a substantial Marathi populationAsked about a controversial tweet issued in the name of Bommai some days back Fadnavis said The chief minister himself had stated before the Union home minister that it was posted from a fake account We will also try to find out what action has been taken against such a tweetMaharashtra CM Shinde last week said tweets in the name of his Karnataka counterpart claiming some areas of Maharashtra were not actually posted by BommaiUnion Home Minister Amit Shah who last week met the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka to defuse the border tensions between the two states had said fake tweets in the name of top leaders also escalated the issueThis story has been sourced from 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