Karnataka Cong chief Shivakumar slams Bommai on border row

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 28 (ANI): With his state at odds with Maharashtra yet again over the festering border dispute, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday came down heavily on Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, saying instead of making hollow statements, he should impress on Union Home Minister Amit Shah to come out with a public statement on the border dispute and settle the issue once and for all.
"Not surprised that (the) CM is merely doing lip service with hollow statements. If he actually means not to cede an inch of Karnataka to Maharashtra, he should immediately take an all-party delegation to Delhi and let Home Minister give a public assurance on the matter," DK Shivakumar said in a tweet, in response to the chief minister's statement on the issue.
Earlier, on Tuesday, Chief Minister Bommai reiterated that not an iota of land would be bartered to Maharashtra.
He added that Karnataka was confident of getting justice as the states were carved out and organised on the basis of the States Reorganisation Act,1956.
Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka Congress president further made plain his displeasure over the CM's statement, saying if he had to take stringent action on the issue, he would have done it by now.
"Had CM Bommai walked the talk about not even goving up on an inch of Karnatak's territory, he wouldn't taken resolute steps in that direction by now," Shivakumar said.
The Maharashtra Assembly, on Tuesday, unanimously passed a resolution moved by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the border dispute with Karnataka.
What's of note amid the border tussle is that both states are currently under BJP rule, with neither chief minister willing to blink or settle.
With Karnataka set to go for the Assembly elections next year and the ruling Balasahedanchi Shiv Sena and the BJP coalition facing heat from the Opposition on the festering border row, neither government wants to end up on the wrong side of a compromise over the issue.
The border resolution, which was passed unanimously by the Maharashtra Assembly, says the state will fight the case in the Supreme Court with full strength, seeking the inclusion of each and every inch of 865 disputed villages, including Belgavi, Karwar, Nipani, Bidar and Bhalki on the Karnataka border.
The resolution also condemned the Karnataka administration for its anti-Marathi stand in the border area. (ANI)