After Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former CM Uddhav Thackeray, now Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has commented on the ongoing controversy over the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
In a strong response, Fadnavis said, "There is no question of parting with even a single village. We will not allow even a single village from Maharashtra to go to Karnataka. Moreover, it was a 2012 resolution passed by gram panchayats of Jat to move to Karnataka due to the water crisis. But there is no new resolution."
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"The Jat taluka, which is drought-prone, is being addressed through water projects. Since the issue is pending before the Supreme Court, we will strongly contest our case. It has to be resolved within the legal framework," Fadnavis said.
This comes after Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai indulged in a war of words with Fadnavis over the border issue between the two states and called the remarks of the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister "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.
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Karnataka CM Bommai had earlier said that the border row has become a political tool in Maharashtra, and any party in power will raise the issue for political purposes. My government is capable of protecting the borders of Karnataka and has taken steps also, Bommai had said.
All the war of words broke out after Bommai claimed that some villages in Maharashtra's Sangli district, which are having a water crisis, passed a resolution seeking a merger with Karnataka. However, the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister denied the claims and said no such village has recently sought a merger with Karnataka.
