Nizams neglected Hyderabad Karnataka region: Mallikarjun Kharge

Kalaburagi: Asserting that the unification of Kannada speaking areas which were part of different principalities before independence, had been done with great effort, Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on Sunday that it was not proper to raise the demand for separate North Karnataka by dividing the unified state.

During an interaction with the media here, Mr Kharge argued that if the North Karnataka region was neglected, the demand for its development should be made before the chief minister. 

He admitted that in terms of development, the Hyderabad Karnataka region was in ‘C’ grade, while the Old Mysore region and Mumbai Karnataka region respectively occupied  A and B grade.

“The backwardness of this region is  due to the its neglect by the Nizams,” he added.

Meanwhile, former minister Vaijnath Patil demanded that instead of North Karnataka state, a separate Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK) state should be formed as this region remained backward. 

“If a Hyderabad-Karnataka state is formed, we have no objection to it. But we cannot be part of North Karnataka state because our problems are different and our region is more backward than Mumbai Karnataka. If we become part of the new state, we will suffer under the hegemony of Mumbai-Karnataka leaders. Instead we want Hyderabad-Karnataka state,” Mr Patil said. Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Venkatrao Nadagouda, however, opposed the demand for a separate NK state. Asserting that the demand was unscientific, he said the region can achieve progress only by remaining part of united Karnataka. 

“Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is committed to the development of the whole of Karnataka and the North-Karnataka region will not be discriminated against. The Janatal Dal governments have contributed to the growth of irrigation facilities in the North Karnataka region, what are the contributions of the Bharatiya Janata Party?,” he sought to know.