Border row: Shinde dials Bommai for peace talks

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said his Maharashtra counterpart Eknath Shinde called him up over phone and that they agreed to maintain peace on both sides.

"We both agreed that there should be peace and law and order to be maintained in both the states," Bommai said in a tweet late Tuesday evening, adding that there is harmony between people of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Maharashtra has, on linguistic grounds, laid claim on Belagavi (Belgaum), a part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency that is currently one of Karnataka’s largest districts.

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"However, there is no change in our stand as far as Karnataka's border is concerned. And the legal battle will be perceived in the Supreme court (sic)," Bommai added.

Earlier in the day, Bommai hit back at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and said his government is not raking up the border issue keeping the upcoming elections in mind.

"For many years, it is Maharashtra that is making it an issue. It's not Karnataka's issue. The case is in the Supreme Court. Our case is constitutionally compliant and we're confident of winning the legal battle," Bommai said. "We are committed to protecting our border and people. Our government is concerned about Kannadigas living in Maharashtra, Telangana and Kerala," he added.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah reminded Bommai of his promise to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the border dispute. "The case is coming up before the Supreme Court on whether or not the petition is maintainabile," the Congress leader said. "Maharashtra is keeping the border issue alive for political reasons. The matter has been resolved based on the Mahajan report. And, Mahajan was from Maharashtra."

Karnataka should not get scared of "Maharashtra's bullying", Siddaramaiah added.