Uddhav Thackeray's suggestion for Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said areas dominated by Marathispeaking people on the states border with Karnataka should be declared as a Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives its final verdict on the issueSpeaking at the launch of a book on the boundary dispute between the two states Mr Thackeray lashed out at the Karnataka government over alleged atrocities on Marathispeaking population in those areas and said there is a need to fight to win the case for their inclusion in MaharashtraMaharashtra claims certain areas including Belgaum Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka contending the majority of population in these areas is MarathispeakingThe case over the dispute between the two states is pending before the Supreme Court for many yearsThackeray said When the case is being heard in the Supreme Court the Karnataka government renames Belgaum declares it as its second capital constructs a Legislature building and holds one legislature session thereIsnt this contempt of court Thackeray askedHe said the Karnatakaoccupied Marathispeaking areas should be declared as a Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives its final verdictWe have to learn from past experiences and fight to win The Karnatakaoccupied Marathispeaking areas will be included in Maharashtra he assertedThe chief minister also targeted the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti MES for allegedly disintegrating and weakening the Marathi cause for selfish political interestsEarlier the MES won halfadozen MLAs Belgaum mayor used to be a Marathispeaking person The Shiv Sena never entered the political fray in Belgaum because it did not want to weaken the MES he saidThackeray whose party formed a Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA with the NCP and Congress to form government in 2019 said a timebound action plan needs to be charted out to win the legal battle and ensure the Marathi speaking leadership and people in those areas of Karnataka remain unitedLets take a pledge that we will not rest till we win If the long pending issue is not resolved during this MVA governments tenure it will never be he saidIn Karnataka whichever political partys government or chief minister take charge they have one thing in common atrocities against Marathi people and language he chargedMarathi people should also unite he said adding that let us be determined to winSpeaking on the occasion NCP president Sharad Pawar said the Mahajan Commission was set up by the Centre in 1960s to study and arrive at a conclusion when Maharashtra leader Senapati Bapat began his hunger strikeThe then Maharashtra chief minister Vasantrao Naik accepted the commission and agreed that its findings will be binding on the state But the commission was 100 per cent against Maharashtra Pawar saidWe Maharashtra rejected the commissions findings Barrister A R Antulay the former CM wrote a book dismissing the Mahajan Commissions report This book should find a mention in the new book released on Wednesday he saidPawar said the Supreme Court is the last weapon for the state and Maharashtra should use all its legal acumen to win the caseWe have to fight to win There is no other option It is good that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is taking a lead in this direction Maharashtra needs to sink its political differences and show more unity in this case he saidThe new 530page book MaharashtraKarnataka Seemavad Sangharsh Aani Sankalp MaharashtraKarnataka boundary dispute struggle and pledge compiled and edited by Deepak Pawar an OSD in the state governments boundary dispute cell gives a detailed account of issueDeepak Pawar said he has travelled from Bidar to Karwar in Karnataka and found that love for Marathi language and culture binds people from the border areas to MaharashtraThe need of the hour is to assure them that the state of Maharashtra is firmly behind them and the MES should also be united to carry on the struggle he saidMaharashtra General Administration Departments principal secretary Shrikant Deshpande said the boundary dispute is a fight for the Marathi asmita prideThe book comprising articles and cartoons chronicalling the issue over the last 64 years will help create an awareness about the issue among the new generation and bridge the disconnect between Marathispeaking locals and other people in Maharashtra Deshpande saidPolitical and social mobilisation is the need of the hour to ensure Marathi language and culture thrive in these areas he saidKarnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa recently slammed Thackerays comments wherein the latter said his government is committed towards incorporating into Maharashtra the areas of Karnataka where Marathispeaking people are in majorityThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the 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