Karnataka Congress chief condemns Maharashtra resolution, asserts will not cede single village

Belagavi (K'taka): Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar on Tuesday asserted that not even a single village will be ceded to Maharashtra, as he condemned the resolution passed in the neighbouring state's legislature regarding the inclusion of Marathi-speaking villages here.

He said the whole state is united on this issue, strongly condemns and opposes the resolution by Maharashtra assembly.

"Entire Karnataka and Congress party strongly condemns their resolution about inclusion of our villages into Maharashtra. We express our opposition to it. We are not ready to give even a single village from Karnataka and we don't want theirs. Our borders are fixed and people are living," Shivakumar said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, everyone in Karnataka is united to protect the interest of the state.

"It is our duty to protect the Kannada language, our villages and the state. We are ready to give all kinds of cooperation on this issue. We oppose their resolution, we will raise it in assembly as well and the Congress is ready to move a resolution in this regard," he added.

The Maharashtra legislature today unanimously passed a resolution to "legally pursue" the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the western state, amid the raging boundary dispute between the two states.

The resolution moved by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature said the Karnataka legislature had passed a resolution on the issue to purposely fuel the border row and condemned the southern state's stand.

Further accusing Maharashtra of purposely instigating people to create unrest, Shivakumar said, they have hate towards Kannadigas who are living on their sides of the border and are doing business.

"We should all be united and let's all together strive to protect our state's pride," he added.

Karnataka Legislative Assembly last week had unanimously passed a resolution on border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the state's interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour.

Alleging that the BJP Ministers there in Maharashtra raked up this issue first at the time of elections, as part of a conspiracy, and they have been joined by other parties there now, Shivakumar said, "there is BJP at the Centre, state and in Maharashtra, for the sake of their politics, they are aiding such things."