Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi has made controversial statements in the wake of the border dispute-related claims recently made by Maharashtra. In a statement, Savadi urged the Centre that Mumbai should be made a part of Karnataka or else a Union Territory for the time being.

"The people of this region as well as I demand that Mumbai should be included in Karnataka. Until that is done, I demand the Union government to declare Mumbai a UT," he has been quoted as saying by ANI.

The row started with Uddhav Thackeray, the CM of Maharashtra, finding fault with the BS Yeddyurappa government of Karnakta changing the name of the disputed region of Belgaum. He felt that the areas in Karnataka where Marathi-speaking people are in a majority should be included in Maharashtra. "Looking at atrocities on the Marathi-speaking people in that area, our government will approach the Supreme Court to declare that part as Union Territory till the matter is in court," Thackeray said recently.

Belagavi, Karwar and Nippani are Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka. They have been eyed by Maharashtra.