MUMBAI/BENGALURU: Six trucks from Maharashtra were allegedly attacked by the Kannada Rakshana Vedike upon entering Karnataka in Belagavi district on Tuesday, leading to a sharp escalation in the inter-state border row between the two BJP-ruled states.
The violence erupted near Hirebagewadi, 24 km from Belagavi, with Vedike activists pelting stones at the buses, a day after the Karnataka government issued prohibitory orders barring a two-member team of Maharashtra ministers from entering the district.
Shiv Sena (UBT) workers retaliated by defacing four Karnataka state transport buses near Pune. The border issue is set to come up in the Supreme Court shortly, and Karnataka is due for polls in April-May 2023.
BJP blames Congress, JD(S) for Maharashtra-Karnataka row
As the border dispute touched a flashpoint on Tuesday with buses being targeted on both sides, Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis called Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai to condemn the violence, in what appeared to be a coordinated effort by the BJP central leadership to douse the fire.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar gave the Karnataka CM a 24-hour “ultimatum” to stop the violence. He said there was “a limit to Maharashtra’s patience”. Pawar blamed Bommai for instigating the border crisis and said the Centre needed to step in.
NCP’s ally Shiv Sena (UBT) also went on the offensive, with party MP Sanjay Raut declaring, “If Maharashtra rises, it will be difficult for the government.” He added, “Where is the chief minister? How can he watch Maharashtra being insulted? This is a weak government. Even today, the only retaliation has come from the Shiv Sena.”
BJP, on the other hand, blamed Congress and Janata Dal for the violence. “ Congress and Janata Dal are behind this incident. Congress is hoping to gain from this in the future,” BJP’s Keshav Upadhyay alleged. NCP’s Jitendra Awhad asked why Maharashtra was suddenly facing problems along its border villages, not just those next to Karnataka but also along the border of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Fadnavis said he will be speaking to Union home minister Amit Shah. “Bommai has assured me action will be taken immediately and no one will be spared,” he said. “We are working towards development, and such an atmosphere between states is not desirable, especially since this matter is before the Supreme Court. If a state doesn’t listen, the issue will have to be taken to the Centre,” Fadnavis said.
Meanwhile, sarpanches of 12 of 55 villages in Nashik’s tribal-dominated Surgana taluka, whose residents had said they wanted to merge with Gujarat, also came forward to say people there had no intention of leaving Maharashtra.
Bommai said his state did not intend to create a new controversy. “I said there will be reactions on both sides and, therefore, we must not disturb the cordial relationship between the two states,” he said. “The SC is seized of the matter and we are confident of winning this legal battle. Our government is committed to protecting our border and our people, and taking care of Kannadigas living in Maharashtra, Telangana and Kerala,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sena activists were detained while trying to cross over to Karnataka. As a precautionary measure, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation stopped bus services from plying to Karnataka. The Karnataka police stepped up vigil along the border, with over 1,000 police personnel deployed.
