Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Thursday criticised his Karnataka counterpart Laxman Savadi over his remarks that Mumbai should be made part of his state.
As per the report by ABP Maza, Pawar said that the statement made by Savadi is baseless and Mumbai has no connection with Karnataka. "The Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka has made this argument to please the people of Karnataka," Pawar added.
Maharashtra chief minister had on Wednesday said areas dominated by Marathi-speaking people on the state's border with Karnataka should be declared as a Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives final verdict on the issue.
Replying to the remark, Savadi on Wednesday had said that until Mumbai was made part of Karnataka, the central government should declare it as a union territory.
Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending the majority of the population in these areas is Marathi-speaking.
On its part, as an assertion that Belagavi is an integral part of the state, Karnataka has built the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru, where the legislative session is held once a year.
(With inputs from PTI)
