The Hindu : National : Court rejects Maharashtra plea

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Friday, Oct 26, 2007
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Court rejects Maharashtra plea

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Maharashtra’s application for a direction that Marathi-speaking areas of Belgaum in Karnataka be centrally administered or be placed under Central rule.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapadia dismissed the application, seeking restoration of 865 villages of Belgaum, wrongly transferred to Karnataka under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. The suit also sought a declaration of the merger of the Marathi-speaking areas with Karnataka as null and void.

Maharashtra said 65-75 per cent of the people in Belgaum areas were Marathi speaking. Since the merger against their wishes, the Karnataka government had been imposing Kannada language disregarding the reality that the Marathi-speaking people were living for generations and were totally ignorant of Kannada language.Therefore, pending disposal of the main suit, the application sought a direction to the Centre to place the Marathi- speaking areas in Belgaum under Central rule. In the alternative, the court could appoint a commission or issue orders to safeguard the rights of the Marathi-speaking people.

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