: The State government has decided to convene a meeting of Kannada organisations at Bangalore next week to take stock of the boundary dispute being pursued by the Maharashtra government in the Supreme Court, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Sunday.
In a brief chat with presspersons at the Belgaum airport, Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was on his way to Hubli, said the State government had taken all necessary measures to defend its case and there was no need to be apprehensive about the territorial integrity of Karnataka. The Karnataka Maharashtra Border Dispute Special Legal Advisory Committee was appointed to defend the State’s case.
On the controversial remarks of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi leader and MLA from Belgaum South constituency Sambhaji L. Patil, that he would take Belgaum to Maharashtra, the Chief Minister brushed aside the remarks saying they were politically motivated and should not be taken seriously.
“Mr. Patil is not the court, the boundary dispute is a legal matter and the apex court will resolve it.”
Decision welcomedThe Belgaum district Kannada Organisations Action Committee president Ashok Chandargi welcomed the Chief Minister’s plan to invite Kannada organisations to discuss measures taken to defend the State’s case. The organisations will take the opportunity to draw Mr. Siddaramaiah’s attention towards development in Belgaum.
Responding to a question on the recent violent incidents in Belgaum and Dharwad districts, Mr. Siddaramaiah warned miscreants and anti-social elements that the police had been advised to deal with them sternly.
