Devendra Fadnavis says Maha govt will fight even for an inch of land over border row

Maharashtra state deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted the state government will fight even for an inch of land, amid the simmering boundary dispute with Karnataka. Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Fadnavis said the state government will do whatever it can to ensure the Marathi-speaking people in Karnataka get justice. The issue of Maharashtra-Karnataka border row echoed in the ongoing winter session of the state Assembly here.

Notably, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution on border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the southern state's interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour.

The resolution, which also condemned the border dispute created by Maharashtra and moved by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, was adopted by a voice vote. On Monday, raising the issue in the Maharashtra Assembly, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar asked why did the government not move the resolution on the border row when it was decided in the Business Advisory Committee that a proposal on it would be moved in the first week of the winter session. 

Pawar said the statements by Karnataka chief minister have hurt the pride of Maharashtra. Responding to it, Deputy CM Fadnavis said the resolution could not be introduced last week as the situation was not conducive, an apparent reference to the suspension of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jayant Patil who was suspended on Thursday for the rest of the session for his remark against Speaker Rahul Narvekar.