Karnataka - Belgaum   

‘Maharashtra’s suit not maintainable’

Belgaum: The original suit filed in the Supreme Court by the Maharashtra Government seeking that the Marathi-speaking areas of Belgaum, Bidar, Nipani, Khanapur and Karwar be merged with Maharashtra is “not maintainable”, according to H.B. Datar, chairman of the Special Legal Advisory Committee on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border dispute.

Mr. Datar, who was on a private visit here on Saturday, told presspersons that Maharashtra’s suit filed under Article 131 of the Constitution was not maintainable. “Maharashtra’s move to approach the Supreme Court was belated too,” he said.

He said the court had admitted the original suit and asked Maharashtra to file amendments. The court had also directed to that copies of its submission be given to the defendants – the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka.

“We are already with our reply to Maharashtra’s suit. But we will wait till the copies of the amendments to be submitted by Maharashtra are made available to us and finalise our reply,” said Mr. Datar.

Ashok Chandargi, president, Belgaum District Kannada Organisations Action Committee, who was present, pointed out the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) had been demanding the transfer of Belgaum to Maharashtra mainly on the ground that it had a majority in the Belgaum City Corporation. But in the recent civic polls to the 58-member corporation council, the MES won only 14 of the 20 wards it contested.

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