Legal and political fight to continue: CM Fadnavis on Maha-K'taka border dispute
Mumbai, July 8
The Maharashtra government stands firmly behind the Marathi-speaking population in the border areas and will leave no stone unturned to secure their just rights, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured on Wednesday.
The chief minister made these remarks during a high-level coordination committee meeting on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute held at Vidhan Bhavan. The meeting saw a broad spectrum of political leadership in attendance.
Key members of the high-level committee present included Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar and Lok Sabha MP Narayan Rane.
Addressing the committee, Fadnavis acknowledged the decades-long struggle of the border residents. To expedite the legal process, he announced that the state would immediately file applications in the Supreme Court to fast-track hearings.
He said the state will appoint top-tier legal experts to represent Maharashtra's case effectively in the Supreme Court.
Furthermore, the Maharashtra government will appoint legal counsel and bear all expenses for Marathi-speaking residents in Karnataka facing various court cases related to the border agitation, he stated, adding that an effective ministerial coordination mechanism would be established for this purpose.
The chief minister also directed officials to compile exhaustive data regarding the Linguistic Minorities Commission. This report will be shared with all Members of Parliament (MPs) from Maharashtra so they can raise the issue aggressively and uniformly in Parliament.
Echoing the chief minister's sentiment, Shinde stated that the administration is highly sensitive to the hardships faced by Marathi-speaking citizens in the border regions.
Highlighting ongoing welfare initiatives, Shinde noted that under Fadnavis's leadership, the state is committed to resolving this crisis.
Currently, Maharashtra offers several welfare schemes to border residents, including a 5 per cent reservation in IAS pre-training centres and dedicated seat quotas in engineering and medical admissions.
Lok Sabha Member Rane emphasised that resolving the issue is an absolute priority and noted that members have suggested various strategic measures during the meeting to find a permanent breakthrough.
— IANS
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