Keen To Resolve Border Row With Karnataka At The Earliest: Eknath Shinde

Eknath Shinde said senior advocate Harish Salve, a former Solicitor General of India, has agreed to fight the state's legal case on the dispute with Karnataka in the Supreme Court.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday assured the Legislative Assembly that his government would not let any injustice happen to people residing in Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka and asserted he was keen to resolve the long-festering border dispute with the neighbouring state at the earliest.

He said senior advocate Harish Salve, a former Solicitor General of India, has agreed to fight the state's legal case on the decades-old border dispute with Karnataka in the Supreme Court.

Making a statement in the Lower House, Mr Shinde said, "It (border dispute) is a sensitive issue and the state was keen on solving it at the earliest. The state government had also requested noted advocate Harish Salve to represent Maharashtra in the ongoing case in the Supreme Court and he has agreed to it."

"After discussing the border issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah (in December), both states were asked to nominate three ministers from each side (to discuss the matter). Their meeting will be held soon. The Maharashtra government has also asked Karnataka to withdraw all police cases filed against people residing in the disputed region (over agitations related to border row)," the chief minister said.