Chikkodi (Belagavi): "We belong to Mumbai Karnataka, Mumbai is ours. Our people have right over Mumbai", said Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Lakshamana Savadi in a territory dispute with neighbouring Maharashtra state.
Speaking after the inauguration of a bus stop in Boragamana village of Nippani taluk in Belagavi district, he said, "We have right over Mumbai. We'll start demanding for it. Mumbai should be added to Karnataka. I urge the Center to make Mumbai a Union Territory until we get our claim. When we ask Mumbai, everything will be okay.
Earlier Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday accused the Karnataka government of deliberately changing the name of the disputed Belagavi district to 'Belgaum' while the matter is in court, and threatened to make it a part of Maharashtra.
"Despite the matter being in court, the Karnataka government deliberately changed the name of the disputed region to Belgaum. They made Belgaum the second capital where they also held an assembly session. Here, we think about the law but Karnataka does not. We will bring that part in Maharashtra for sure if we all come together," said Thackeray today, after a meeting with the High Power Committee constituted for the border dispute with Karnataka.
He further said that looking at the atrocities of Marathi-speaking people in disputed border areas, his government will request the Supreme Court to declare the disputed part as a union territory, as long as the matter is in court.