From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Medium Network
BANGALORE, Jul 16: Border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka is a closed chapter and the State Government will not encourage any anti-social elements or forces to target any linguistic or religious minorities in the State, declared Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday.
The Chief Minister reacted strongly against Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s editorial in Saamna and said “we are committed to fostering brotherly relations and linguistic harmony among all sections of the people of all over the State, especially in sensitive border districts like Belgaum.”
Qddressing presspersons here, he saide: ``Thackeray is a senior and veteran leader with vast experience. I do not wish to join issue with him and fully endorse his stand that innocent people should never be made to suffer and all sections of the people are able to live peacefully and in complete harmony.”
Stating that “we are Indian citizens first,” the Chief Minister fully shared the concern that Marathi speaking people in Belgaum or Kannada speaking people in Mumbai should be able to live peacefully.
Yeddyurappa said stern instructions have been given to the police and other authorities to ensure that no individual or organization be allowed to take law into their hands indulge in lawlessness, violence or destruction of properties.
“There is no question of government support to such activities or organizations,” he said.
Marathi-speaking people in Belgaum have been living peacefully since last several decades. Though there have been occasional incidents to disturb peace and create fear by anti-social elements and vested interests, “I wish to make it clear that government has firmly dealt with such situations and taken immediate action to restore peace and harmony.”
“Let us live Indians forgetting narrow differences of languages, castes, and religions. Let us work for the development of our own states and the progress and property of India. There is no question of one-upmanship or superiority of one language or culture over another,” Yeddyurappa said.
The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Centre for filing an affidavit to the Supreme Court that Marathi-speaking districts of Gulbarga and Belgaum are part of Karnataka and appealed to the Maharashtra government to refrain foam raking up border row.
The Mahrastra Ekikarana Samihti (MES) has been unnecessarily raising the language issue for political gains in Belgaum, he said.