NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that Savadi’s statement should be ignored. He added that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has suggested that villages sharing a border with Karnataka be declared a Union Territory (UT) until the dispute is resolved. The border dispute has been pending with the Supreme Court since 2004. Raut further said that while there has been no harsh action against people from Karnataka residing in Mumbai and Maharashtra, it is not the case with people living in border areas under dispute. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant also criticised “BJP’s conspiracy” to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra and bring it under the Union government.

Source: Indian Express January 28, 2021 21:45 UTC