Mumbai: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dhananjay Munde incited youth to take over reigns of battle of the Marathi speaking people in disputed border region for merging with Maharashtra.
Mr Munde, who is also a leader of opposition in state legislative council, was addressing ‘Maha-Adhiveshan’ of Marathi speaking people from border areas, which was held on December 9, in Belg-aum, to protest Karnataka government on the backdrop of Karnataka state Assembly session in the city. The conclave was organised by the Mahara-shtra Ekikaran Samiti.
Mr Munde said, “Maharashtrian blood runs in the veins of people of Belgaum. I salute them as they have been fighting to join Maharashtra for the last 60 years. The youths should now come forward to take the reigns of border dispute issue.”
Mr Munde added that the fight for Samyukta Maharashtra was not for votes but for the soil. He further pledged support of the 12 crore population of Maharashtra to Marathi speaking people in Belgaum. “We will fight for your rights till the end,” he added.
Mr Munde alleged that the approach of the Maharashtra government towards the border dispute issue is negative.
“The meeting of Maharashtra-Karnataka high-level committee have not been held even once in last four years. Senior minister Chandrakant Patil, who is the co-ordinator of the committee, has not even bothered to visit Belgaum. If the Maharashtra government’s approach remains negative like this, we will have to fight with the Karnataka as well as the Maharashtra government,” he said.
“I will meet Maharasht-ra chief minister Deve-ndra Fadnavis to apprise him about the Belgaum issue, said Mr Munde.
