Sanjay Raut dares Modi, Shah to resolve Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary row

Shiva Sena leader and Rajya Sabha Member Sanjay Raut dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the Karnataka-Maharashtra boundary dispute and put an end to the injustices suffered by Marathi speaking people in the boundary areas of Karnataka for over six decades.

Both Modi and Shah were talking of bringing in change in West Bengal by resolving the injustices suffered by the people in the state, instead they should resolve the problems of Marathi speaking people that were over 65 years old, he said.

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Raut addressed a by-election campaign rally for independent candidate Shubham Shelke supported by Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti and Shiva Sena here on Wednesday night.

He said: "Modi and Shah talk of West Bengal, but turn a blind eye to the problems and injustices faced by Marathi speaking people in the state ruled by their party Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa. Modi-Shah boast of abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, but not of resolving the longest pending dispute in the country. Congress must have committed mistake then, but they can correct it now".

"If it resorts to high handedness, Maharashtra could stop drinking water flow to Karnataka, but has not stooped to such level. MES movement was being suppressed here and saffron flag at Yellur village in Belagavi was removed. Marathi speaking people here instead of getting divided should unite under saffron flag and vote for their candidate in the by-election," Raut stated.

Earlier Raut staged a road show in which MES supporters and sympathisers participated. They raised slogans demanding merger of Marathi speaking areas of the state with Maharashtra and will not bear excesses by Karnataka.