Hyderabad, July 18 -- The Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called on the Congress-led state government to take a clear and judicious stand on Maharashtra's controversial proposal to merge 14 border villages from Telangana into its territory.

In a statement issued today, BJP Telangana chief spokesperson NV Subash said, "The Maharashtra government's intent to merge these villages is a serious issue. It is imperative for the ruling Congress government under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to publicly clarify its position and protect the interests of Telangana's territorial integrity."

The statement was made in response to Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's remarks on Wednesday, in which he claimed th...