Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is not amused with his Telangana counterpart's comments that the border district of Raichur would develop if it is merged in Telangana.
On a visit to the district Saturday, Bommai made it clear that not an inch of Karnataka territory would be handed over to Telangana. In a tweet, Bommai said, "There is no question of giving up even a single piece of space in our state to another state, Raichur is already developed enough and will develop further in the near future."
Bommai described as "ridiculous" Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's reported claims that Karnataka's Raichur district would develop well if it becomes part of Telangana.
"Raichur has a thermal plant, airport. Then there are many other developmental works underway. I have allocated funds under the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and lots of grants are on the way" Bommai said.
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Noting that Telangana is a newly formed state with its own share of development issues, Bommai advised KCR to focus on his state's core issues instead of eyeing Karnataka territory.
On August 17, KCR mentioned that impressed by Telangana's development, the people of Raichur in neighbouring Karnataka are demanding the district's merger with the TRS party-ruled state while addressing a TRS event.
In an earlier instance, a video of Telangana minister T Harish Rao, also KCR's nephew, talking to some women in a border village of Karnataka had caused controversy.
In the video, Harish Rao was seen asking the women about facilities provided by the Karnataka government and comparing them with the facilities extended by the Telangana government.
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(With IANS inputs)