Maharashtra has No Claim over Belgaum: Centre Tells SC

TNN

New Delhi, Jul 8: Belgaum, where the majority population speaks Marathi, should stay with Karnataka and Maharashtra's claim over it has no merit, the UPA government has told the Supreme Court.

The Maharashtra government's claim over the Belgaum area and filing of a suit in the apex court seeking amendment to the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, and Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960, had heightened tension between Maharashtra and Karnataka.

It reached such dimensions that in September 2006, the then ruling coalition of Karnataka headed by H D Kumaraswamy had held a special assembly session in the town bordering Maharashtra, which had quickly moved an application in the apex court seeking imposition of Central rule in the contentious area.

Putting all controversy to rest, the UPA government negated the claim of Maharashtra and told the SC in an affidavit that "it is not correct to say that certain areas were wrongly merged in Karnataka". "The transfer of certain areas to then Mysore (now Karnataka) was neither arbitrary nor wrong," it added.

The ministry of home affairs (MHA) said that "the language of the people has been one criteria, but not the sole criterion for inclusion of any area, that is, village, taluka, municipal area in a state."

"States Reorganisation Commission had a balanced approach to the issue and not arbitrary. Both Parliament and the Union government had considered all the relevant factors while considering the State Reorganisation Bill, 1956, and the Bombay Reorganisation Bill, 1960, and decided the village, taluka, municipal areas, towns etc which were to be included in the concerned states. It is not correct to say that certain areas were merged in Karnataka," the MHA said seeking dismissal of the application.

Putting up a brave face, Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan claimed that the affidavit was not the Centre's final stand on the issue and that it will take a "neutral" view when the matter comes up for hearing.