Even as Marathi-speaking people observed Karnataka Rajyotsava as ‘Black Day’ on Tuesday, the Maharashtra government has decided to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court, before January 15 on the border dispute issue. Mumbaikars also held a rally at Lower Parel to express their solidarity with Marathi people living in the border region.
The SC has asked Karnataka and Maharashtra to file their affidavits on their inter-state border dispute. The state has been long claiming Belgaum and border areas in Karnataka, which have Marathi-speaking population.
In a meeting of state expert committee held in Mantralaya, chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya directed the state officials to ensure that affidavit is filed before January 15. The state government has appointed senior lawyers Arvind Datar and Harish Salve to represent it in the SC on the border dispute issue. Mr Kshatriya also directed the law and justice department officials to fill up the lawyer’s post, which has been lying vacant after the death of Prabhat Ranjan Tiwari. “We will request the Supreme Court to fast-track the border dispute case,” said the chief secretary.
The rally at Lower Parel was mired in controversy as the police earlier had denied permission to it citing the possibility of law and order disturbance. However, later it revoked the ban on the rally.
Pradeep Chougule, secretary, Seema Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti (Mumbai), said, “We held the rally to protest atrocities committed by Karnataka on Marathi-speaking people in border areas.”
