As the border row intensifies, Maharastra ministers Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai postponed their scheduled visit to Belagavi on Tuesday. The ministers' visit was cancelled a day after Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai raised concerns over their visit.
Both Patil and Desai was appointed by Maharastra government to coordinate the state's border row with Karnataka. Earlier their visit was scheduled on December 3 which was postponed to December 6.
"The Maharastra ministers who were to come in Belgavi, now their programme is cancelled due to Mahaparinirvan Diwas as we got to know from Maharastra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's statement," Maharastra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) leader Sarita Patil was quoted by ANI.
"Their visit is cancelled now but we hope that they will visit on some other day. I also request them to visit by this year. On December 19, there is adhiveshan (session) in Belgavi and I request them on behalf of Maharastra Ekikaran Samithi to visit here," Patil told ANI.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that the harmony between people of both states should not be disturbed and expressed his government's commitment to protect the state's borders and the interest of Kannadigas here and in other states.
He also said that he was confident about Karnataka winning the legal battle on the border dispute, as the state's stand is both legal and constitutional.
Earlier CM Bommai had appealed Eknath Shinde to fight the border dispute issue legally on Monday. Their visit may disrupt the law and order situation in the border district, Bommai had said.
While, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that CM Shinde will take a final call on whether the ministers appointed for coordinating the state's border dispute with Karnataka should visit the contested areas.
Heavy security personnel were deployed in Belagavi's Chikkodi area relating to the visit. As many as 450 policemen were deployed in various parts of the state to maintain peace.
(With PTI inputs)
