Declare Marathi-speaking K'taka-Maha border areas as UT: CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said areas dominated by Marathi-speaking people on state's border with Karnataka should be declared as a Union Territory till Supreme Court gives its final verdict on issue.

Speaking at launch of a book on boundary dispute between two states, Thackeray lashed out at Karnataka government over alleged atrocities on Marathi-speaking population in those areas and said re is a need to fight to win case for ir inclusion in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending majority of population in se areas is Marathi-speaking. case over dispute between two states is pending before Supreme Court for many years.

Thackeray said, "When case is being heard in Supreme Court, Karnataka government renames Belgaum, declares it as its second capital, constructs a Legislature building and holds one legislature session re." "Isn't this contempt of court?" Thackeray asked.

He said "Karnataka-occupied Marathi-speaking areas should be declared as a Union Territory" till Supreme Court gives its final verdict.

"We have to learn from past experiences and fight to win. Karnataka-occupied Marathi-speaking areas will be included in Maharashtra," he asserted.

Chief Minister also targeted Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) for allegedly disintegrating and weakening Marathi cause for selfish political interests.

"Earlier, MES won half-a-dozen MLAs, Belgaum mayor used to be a Marathi-speaking person. Shiv Sena never entered political fray in Belgaum because it did t want to weaken MES," he said. Thackeray, whose party formed a Maha Vikas Aghi (MVA) with NCP and Congress to form government in 2019, said a time-bound action plan needs to be charted out to win legal battle and ensure Marathi- speaking leership and people in those areas of Karnataka remain united.

"Let's take a pledge that we will t rest till we win. If long-pending issue is t resolved during this (MVA) government's tenure, it will never be," he said.

"In Karnataka, whichever political party's government or chief minister take charge, y have one thing in common - atrocities against Marathi people and langu," he charged.

Marathi people should also unite, he said, ding that "let us be determined to win". Speaking on occasion, NCP president Shar Pawar said Mahajan Commission was set up (by Centre in 1960s) to study and arrive at a conclusion when (Maharashtra leer) Senapati Bapat began his hunger strike.

" n Maharashtra chief minister Vasantrao Naik accepted commission and agreed that its findings will be binding on state. But, commission was 100 per cent against Maharashtra," Pawar said.

"We (Maharashtra) rejected commission's findings. Barrister A R Antulay, former CM, wrote a book dismissing Mahajan Commission's report. This book should find a mention in new book (released on Wednesday)," he said.

Pawar said Supreme Court is "last weapon for state" and Maharashtra should use all its legal acumen to win case. "We have to fight to win. re is or option. It is good that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is taking a le in this direction. Maharashtra needs to sink its political differences and show more unity in this case," he said. new 530-p book, 'Maharashtra-Karnataka Seemav: Sangharsh Aani Sankalp' (Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute: struggle and pledge), compiled and edited by Deepak Pawar, an OSD in state government's boundary dispute cell, gives a detailed account of issue.

Deepak Pawar said he has travelled from Bidar to Karwar (in Karnataka) and found that love for Marathi langu and culture binds people from border areas to Maharashtra. " need of hour is to assure m that state of Maharashtra is firmly behind m, and MES should also be united to carry on struggle," he said.

Maharashtra General ministration Department's principal secretary Shrikant Deshpande said boundary dispute is a fight for "Marathi Asmita (pride)".

book, comprising articles and cartoons chronicalling issue over last 64 years, will help create awareness about issue among new generation and bridge disconnect between Marathi-speaking locals and or people in Maharashtra, Deshpande said.

"Political and social mobilisation is need of hour to ensure Marathi langu and culture thrive in se areas," he said.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa recently slammed Thackeray's comments wherein latter said his government is committed to incorporating into Maharashtra  areas of Karnataka where Marathi-speaking people are in majority.