PM mediates between Russia and Ukraine However: Team Uddhav’s State Border Conflict

Sanjay Raut, the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), claimed on Sunday that it is “not a hallmark of a decent politician” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arbitrate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict while ignoring the festering Maharashtra-Karnataka border issue.
Mr. Raut further stated that the border issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka was a war for humanity rather than a conflict between the citizens and governments of the two states in his weekly column “Rokhthok” in the party mouthpiece Saamana.
Belagavi and the adjoining border regions in north Karnataka have been claimed by Maharashtra for a long time since they are home to a substantial Marathi-speaking community. The long-running border conflict erupted once more when Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai recently asserted that certain villages in Maharashtra’s Sangli district had voted a resolution to join the southern state because they lacked basic amenities.
“The fight of the Marathi-speaking community in Belagavi and surrounding areas, who were forced into Karnataka during the reorganisation of states against their will, cannot be brutally put down,” Mr. Raut remarked. The senior Shiv Sena leader (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) questioned where one should turn for justice if the federal government and the Supreme Court are unable to settle the matter.
“PM Modi mediates in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine but ignores the boundary issue between Maharashtra and Karnataka. This is hardly a quality indicator of a politicians”, he claimed.
The attempt by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the matter is commendable, but the Rajya Sabha member questioned if the federal government will adopt a neutral stance.
Mr. Raut requested that the boundary question be resolved by parliament.
What is the damage if parliament finds a resolution to this as soon as possible, he argued, rather than anticipating that the Supreme Court will refer the matter to parliament.
He argued that rather than making aggressive remarks against Maharashtra, Karnataka Chief Minister Bommai should have discussed the issue with the organisations and leaders of Marathi-speaking people in Belagavi.
It is obvious that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde lacks the strength to oppose Bommai’s assertive stance over the claim of territories in Maharashtra, the speaker remarked.
The status quo should be preserved, Mr. Raut said, according to the decision made at the meeting of the two Chief Ministers that Amit Shah had summoned to discuss the matter.