Uddhav seeks UT status

Mumbai, Jan 27: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray 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 its final verdict on the issue.
Speaking at the launch of a book on the boundary dispute between the two states, Thackeray lashed out at the Karnataka government over alleged atrocities on Marathi- speaking population in those areas, and said there is a need to fight to win the case for their inclusion in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contending the majority of population in these areas is Marathi-speaking. The case over the dispute between the two states is pending before the Supreme Court.
The chief minister also targeted the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) for allegedly weakening the Marathi cause for selfish political interests. The MES is an organisation fighting for the merger of 800-odd villages, where the Marathi-speaking population is dominant, with Maharashtra. (PTI)