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Belagavi Issue: Reaffirming his stand on the Belagavi issue, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the district is an integral part of his state and will never be allowed to merge with Maharashtra. While flagging off the grand procession of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari and Annama Devi in Nrupatunga Mantapa, Mysore Bank Circle on Saturday, he asserted that there will be no compromise on the Belagavi issue. Siddaramaiah also said that the Mahajan Committee report on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute is final.

“There will be no compromise on the Belagavi issue. The Maharashtra government has approached the Supreme Court on the issue but the Mahajan report is final. We will not let go of Belagavi because it is Kannada land and a part of Karnataka. No one can deny this,” the chief minister said.

What Is Belagavi Issue?

The Belagavi issue is a decades-old border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra over Belagavi city and surrounding villages. Maharashtra claims them due to historical ties with Bombay Presidency and a significant Marathi-speaking population. Karnataka retains control, citing Kannada linguistic majority and the 1956 States Reorganisation Act. The Mahajan Commission (1966) recommended status quo with minor swaps—rejected by both.

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However, Karnataka has rejected Maharashtra's claim, citing the Mahajan Committee report. The state hosts one Vidhana Sabha session at Belagavi based Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, a replica of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.

Siddaramaiah noted that there used to be five Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) MLAs elected in the state, but now their number has come down to zero.

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“The MES people are also Kannadigas. If anyone among them indulges in rowdyism, we will deal with them firmly," the CM said.

He told the Kannada activists that the government is ready to do whatever is necessary for the development of Kannada schools in border areas.

Hailing the Kannada activists for their struggle to protect the interests of the state, Siddaramaiah assured them that cases registered against them for pro-Kannada agitations would be withdrawn.

The CM called upon people of the state to develop pride in Kannada land, language, and culture.
(With PTI inputs)

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