Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today said at a meeting with the top leaders of the ruling alliance, Maharashtra’s border dispute with Karnataka needs to be approached aggressively, and all parties must unite to bring back the Marathi-speaking region into the state.

Maharashtra claims certain areas, including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani, which are part of Karnataka. The state argues that most of the populations in these areas speak Marathi. The two states have been fighting the case over the dispute in the Supreme Court for several years.

“The statement of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s speech on the integration of Marathi language and culture into Maharashtra is obnoxious. This is contrary to the principles of the Indian Union.”