Will incorporate 'Karnataka-occupied areas' into Maha: Uddhav

Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray on Sunday said his government is committed towardsincorporating into the state the areas of Karnataka whereMarathi-speaking people are in majority.This will be the true tribute to martyrs of thecause, the Chief Ministers Office CMO said in a tweet.Maharashtra claims Belgaum and some other areas, partof the erstwhile Bombay Presidency but currently in Karnataka,on linguistic grounds.

Maharashtra Chief Minister UddhavThackeray on Sunday said his government is committed towardsincorporating into the state the areas of Karnataka whereMarathi-speaking people are in majority.

This will be the ''true tribute'' to martyrs of thecause, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a tweet.

Maharashtra claims Belgaum and some other areas, partof the erstwhile Bombay Presidency but currently in Karnataka,on linguistic grounds. Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, a regional organisationfighting for the merger of Belgaum and some other border areaswith Maharashtra, observes January 17 as the 'martyrs' day'for those who laid down their lives for the cause in 1956.

''Bringing Karnataka-occupied Marathi-speaking andcultural areas in Maharashtra will be the true tribute tothose who accepted martyrdom in the boundary battle. We areunited and committed towards it. Respects to the martyrs withthis promise,'' the CMO tweeted.

Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belgaum,Karwar and Nippani which are part of Karnataka, contendingthat the majority of population in these areas is Marathi-speaking.

The dispute between the two states over Belgaum andother border areas is pending before the Supreme Court formany years.

Thackeray last year appointed Maharashtra ministersEknath Shinde and Chhagan Bhujbal as co-coordinators tooversee the state government's efforts to expedite the caserelated to the boundary dispute.