Mumbai, Dec 6 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai over stone pelting on vehicles from Maharashtra entering the southern state amid a raging border row and said he will also take up the matter with the Centre.He blamed Karnataka for creating needless controversy over the border row after the Maharashtra government last month appointed two ministers to coordinate with the legal team regarding the court case on the decades-old boundary dispute between the two states.In the backdrop of rising tension between the two states over the border row, a video surfaced on social media showing some people throwing stones at vehicles entering Karnataka from Maharashtra near a toll booth at Hirebaugwadi in Belagavi district of the adjoining state.Sources close to the Maharashtra Deputy CM said, “Fadnavis made a phone call to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and expressed his disappointment over the Hirebaugwadi incident.” “The Karnataka Chief Minister assured Fadnavis of strong action against the perpetrators. He also assured Fadnavis that vehicles entering Karnataka from Maharashtra will be given proper protection,” the sources said.Speaking to reporters later in the day, Fadnavis said, “I am going to inform Union Home Minister Amit Shah about today"s incident as well. It is not a good thing if such incidents keep taking place between the two states.” The deputy CM, who also handles the home portfolio, said the Constitution allows free movement of people in the country.“The Constitution has empowered everyone to travel from one state to another, start a business or to live anywhere. If this fundamental right is being trampled upon, then the state in question should stop such incidents,” he said.“If a state fails to stop such incidents, then the matter will have to be escalated to the national level. I am keeping a close watch on developments and what has been promised by the chief minister of Karnataka. I will apprise the Union Home Minister about all these developments,” said the deputy chief minister.Asked about some people blackening buses of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said, “There is a reaction to an action. However, I appeal to people to not take such drastic steps. The state respects the law of the land and police will prohibit people from taking the law into their hands.” “I want to tell the Karnataka Chief Minister that instigating people, making (inflammatory) comments is wrong and it does not serve any purpose. In fact, the Karnataka chief minister initiated the controversy after the Maharashtra chief minister reconstituted the team and appointed two state ministers to coordinate legal battle in the Supreme Court over the border dispute,” he said.Asked about NCP president Sharad Pawar"s comments that he might visit the disputed border areas in the next 48 hours if the Maharashtra government fails to ease the rising tension, Fadnavis said efforts were on resolve the issue.“I do not think Pawar will have to go to the disputed areas. The Union government as well as both the state governments will try to address the issue," he said.Fadnavis appealed to the people of Maharashtra to avoid taking any action that may further complicate the situation.The decades-old Karnataka-Maharashtra border row has flared up in the last few days, leading to a war of words between politicians of the two states.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rules Karnataka and it is also a part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra.The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population. It also laid claim to 814 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of the southern state. Karnataka, however, considers the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.Commenting on a proposed rally of opposition parties in Maharashtra on December 17, Fadnavis said, “They (opposition parties) are upset with Governor B S Koshyari. Everybody knows why these parties are upset with the Governor, but unfortunately they are using the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.” “Using Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj"s name for political mileage is wrong. If a person passes any unwarranted comment against our king (Shivaji Maharaj), it does not affect the reputation of the king, whose place in our minds and hearts will remain intact," he added. PTI ND RSY RSY