Karnataka-Maharashtra row: Uddhav Thackeray calls Basavraj Bommai possessed, Eknath Shinde says won't give inch of state

New Delhi: The war of words between politicians of Maharashtra and Karnataka escalated on Thursday with Uddhav Thackeray launching a personal attack on Basavraj Bommai calling the latter possessed. He said the Karnataka CM's statement on the border row claiming 40 Maharastra village appear to be made by the politician who is possessed.

"It seems like Karnataka CM Bommai has been possessed for suddenly staking a claim on 40 villages in Maharashtra?" he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde vowed that the government will not even give an inch of Maharashtra's land to Karnataka.

Ajit Pawar, an opposition leader, has given a call to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis to give a befitting reply to them. The latter three belong to the same party, BJP. 

Calling the remarks provocative, he demanded the Centre's intervention. 

Bommai had earlier taken on Fadnavis and called his remarks in Maharashtra's defence provocative.

"Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made a provocative statement on the Karnataka Maharashtra border issue and his dream will never come true. Our government is committed to protecting the country`s land, water and borders," Bommai tweeted on Wednesday evening.

Also read: Bhagat Singh Koshyari an 'Amazon parcel': Uddhav urges Centre to recall Maharashtra Guv, send him to old age home

Fadnavis had said that no village in Maharashtra would go to Karnataka.

"No village in Maharashtra will go to Karnataka! The state government will fight strongly in the Supreme Court to get Marathi-speaking villages including Belgaum-Karwar-Nipani," he had tweeted.

Pawar said that the Karnataka Chief Minister had claimed the villages of Jat taluka in Sangli and now he is claiming Akkalkot and Solapur as well. He said the case is pending in the court about this and it is to distract people and divert their attention from real issues like inflation and unemployment. 

The controversy broke out after Bommai claimed some villages in Maharashtra's Sangli had passed a resolution seeking a merger with Karnataka. He said this is due to the looming water crisis which the state can't resolve.

Meanwhile, Thackrey also called Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari an Amazon parcel sent by the Centre, demanding that he recall his remarks against Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Koshyari had called Shivaji Maharaj an icon of the olden days.

He said he would hold a peaceful protest against the governor if he doesn't take the comments back.

With inputs from ANI