On 14th December 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called a special meeting of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary issue. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Amit Shah spoke to the media and outlined the five points for a solution to the dispute.
Addressing the media after the meeting on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue. Watch live! https://t.co/p9jN0m9ajB
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) December 14, 2022
Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis from Maharashtra and Basavaraj Bommai from Karnataka and his home minister Araga Jnanendra Kumar were also present for the meeting. Amit Shah said, “There was a border dispute between the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. I called the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Karnataka here today to find a solution to put an end to this dispute and to find a constitutional way out of it. Talks with both sides were held in a good atmosphere in the presence of officials of the Home Department of the Government of India. Both sides have played a positive role. It is generally agreed that disputes cannot be settled on the streets in a democratic process. A solution can only be found through constitutional means. Some decision has been taken in this regard.”
Amit Shah further said, “These decisions have been taken unanimously in today’s meeting. As home minister of the country, I also appeal to the opposition parties in both states that whatever the political opposition, it should not be made a political issue in the interest of other languages in the border areas. I hope the Congress, NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray’s group will cooperate in this matter.”
The decisions made in the meeting are as follows:
- No state will stake claim to each other’s state until the Supreme Court gives a verdict in this regard.
- Six ministers from both states, three each on both sides, will sit together and discuss the matter in detail.
- There are many other small points of disagreement among the neighbouring states. Such disputes are commonly seen in neighbouring countries. A solution to such issues will also be discussed by a committee of three ministers each that will discuss the two sides together.
- Both states have agreed to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of a senior IPS officer to ensure that the law and order situation remains normal in both states and that the traders or the common people from other linguistic groups do not have to face any kind of harassment. The committee will try to maintain law and order.
- Fake Twitter accounts also played a big role in this entire case. Rumours were spread over social media by creating fake Twitter accounts in the name of some top leaders. This kind of thing is serious because such tweets are working to provoke people’s sentiments. So a case will be registered against such fake accounts.
