A decades-old conflict between Maharashtra and Karnataka over border areas escalated on Wednesday, PTI reported. It started after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, speaking at a book launch, raked up the matter. He suggested that the disputed border areas between both the states should be made a Union Territory until the matter was decided by the Supreme Court.

Thackeray also criticised the BS Yediyurappa-led government for the alleged atrocities committed on Marathi-speaking population in the border areas of Karnataka.

He called for a fight to incorporate those areas into Maharashtra. “We have to learn from past experiences and fight to win,” the Shiv Sena leader said. “The Karnataka-occupied Marathi-speaking areas will be included in Maharashtra.”

Maharashtra maintains its claim over certain areas of Karnataka, including Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani, contending that the majority of population in these areas is Marathi-speaking. The Karnataka government has opposed the assertion and the case is pending before the Supreme Court for many years.

“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 there,” Thackeray said. “Isn’t this contempt of court?”

Targeting an umbrella organisation called Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, Thackeray said it has disintegrated and weakened the “Marathi cause” for its political interests. “Earlier, the MES won half-a-dozen MLAs, Belgaum mayor used to be a Marathi-speaking person,” he added. “The Shiv Sena never entered the political fray in Belgaum because it did not want to weaken the MES.”

Thackeray, whose party formed a Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress to form the government in Maharashtra in 2019, has raised the border areas integration matter since its inception, according to reports. “Let’s take a pledge that we will not rest till we win,” he said at the event. “If the long pending issue is not resolved during this MVA government’s tenure, it will never be. In Karnataka, whichever political party’s government or chief minister take charge, they have one thing in common – atrocities against Marathi people and language.”

He urged people of Maharashtra to be united and be determined to win the disputed areas. On January 17 also, Thackery had said his government is committed to incorporating into the state the areas of Karnataka where Marathi-speaking people are in majority.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was also present at the book launch, said that the 1967 Mahajan Commission’s report was “100% against Maharashtra”. The commission was set by the then government to study and arrive at a conclusion to resolve the row between the two states.

“We [Maharashtra] rejected the commission’s findings,” Pawar said. “Barrister AR Antulay, the former chief minister, wrote a book dismissing the Mahajan Commission’s report.”

Pawar said the Supreme Court is the “last weapon for the state”, adding that Maharashtra should use all its legal acumen to win the case. “We have to fight to win,” he added. “There is no other option. It is good that Uddhav Thackeray is taking a lead in this direction. Maharashtra needs to sink its political differences and show more unity in this case.”

‘Mumbai should be included in Karnataka’

However, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi hit back at Thackeray, ANI reported. He demanded that Mumbai be included as part of Karnataka.

Savadi condemned Thackeray’s accusation that Karnataka deliberately changed the name of Belagavi district to Belgaum. “My demand and the demand of the people in this region is that Mumbai should be declared a Union Territory,” he said.

Savadi said that the Supreme Court judgement in the case will be in Karnataka’s favour.