Karnataka leader speaks on Maharashtra-Karnataka dispute: 'Make Mumbai a Union Territory'

- Laxman Sawadi is the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka

Belgaum / Mumbai on 28th January 2021 Thursday

The dispute over the border between Maharashtra and Karnataka resurfaced.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Sawdi had demanded that the metropolitan city of Mumbai be made a Union Territory against the demand of making it a Union Territory of Marathi-majority Karnataka.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had demanded centralization of the disputed area of ​​Karnataka. In retaliation, Sawdi vowed to make Mumbai a Union Territory. He said there was a demand in Karnataka that Mumbai should be merged with Karnataka.

Uddhav, while launching a book on the Maharashtra-Karnataka dispute, said that Karnataka was doing injustice to the Marathi-speaking people in the disputed area. This area should be made a Union Territory. In reply, Sawadi said that Mumbai should be made a Union Territory. Mumbai has long been a part of Karnataka. Merge Mumbai into Karnataka and declare Mumbai a Union Territory till the process is completed.

A case is currently pending in the Supreme Court over the disputed area. Uddhav said the disputed area should be declared Union Territory till the Supreme Court verdict. We are going to demand this from the Central Government.

In fact, Maharashtra has been claiming many areas of Karnataka for years. The two states were at loggerheads over the issue and there were violent incidents in between. However, this was also happening among some other states in the country. There are people living in the border areas of almost every state by adopting the language and habitation of the two surrounding states. The people living on the border have relations like language, culture and bowl dealings of both the states.