Mumbai belongs to Maha, will always remain part of state: Ajit

A day after Karnataka DeputyChief Minister Laxman Savadi demanded that Mumbai be made partof his state, his Maharashtra counterpart Ajit Pawar onThursday said everyone knows that the metropolis belongs toMaharashtra and that it would always remain its part.

The NCP, which is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)government in Maharashtra, asked the BJP to come clear onSavadi's demand.

The BJP currently rules Karnataka.

Savadi had on Wednesday said Mumbai should be madepart of Karnataka and urged the Centre to declare it a UnionTerritory until then.

His remarks came after Maharashtra Chief MinisterUddhav Thackeray said that areas dominated by Marathi-speakingpeople on the state's border with Karnataka should be declareda Union Territory till the Supreme Court gives its finalverdict on the issue.

Talking to reporters, Ajit Pawar said, ''He (Savadi)took Mumbai's name to appease the people of Karnataka afterour chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) made the remarks.'' ''Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra. It was ours yesterday,is ours today and will be ours in the future too. Nobody canchange this. Everyone knows it. Hence, there is no need to payattention to what he said. In my opinion, he should beneglected,'' he said.

''What is the relation between the demand Thackeray hadmade and the demand for declaring Mumbai as a Union Territory?It may be a poor attempt to appease the people of Karnataka.

There is no logic in it (Savadi's demand),'' the senior NCPleader said.

Pawar said Karnataka had taken certain steps in thepast years to show that Marathi-speaking areas in the southernstate were its own.

''But what we say, and that is why we had approachedthe Supreme Court, and even today it is the state government'sstand, that when such an issue between two states crops up,then the Centre should intervene and find a way out. And thatway out should be found out sensibly and not in a one-sidedmanner,'' he added.

The NCP asked the BJP leaders to clarify their standon the issue.

Maharashtra NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase asked stateBJP president Chandrakant Patil and Leader of Opposition inAssembly Devendra Fadnavis whether they agree with Savadi'sdemand.

In a video statement, Tapase asked Patil and Fadnavisto give a befitting reply to Savadi ''if they are withMaharashtra''.

''I want to ask Patil and Fadnavis whether they agreewith the demand made by Savadi. Do you want to make Mumbai aUnion Territory?'' he asked.

''The BJP should explain its position on the issue. Itis expected of you to give a befitting reply to Savadi if youare with Maharashtra,'' he added.