Ajit Pawar calls for inclusion of border area Marathi-speaking villages in Maharashtra

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 1 : On the occasion of Maharashtra Day, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar backed the campaign to make the Marathi-speaking villages at the border, including Belgaum, Nipai and Karwar, a part of the state.
After hoisting a flag at Pune City Police headquarters in Shivajinagar, Pawar said, "On Maharashtra Day, we still regret that several Marathi-speaking villages at the state border, including Belgaum, Nipai and Karwar, could not be part of the state. I assure you that we'll keep supporting the fight by the people of these villages to become a part of Maharashtra."
The Deputy Chief Minister also requested the people of Maharashtra to use face masks voluntarily, as "despite the removal of all Covid restrictions, Covid is not over yet".
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wished the people of Maharashtra on Maharashtra Day and prayed for their prosperity.
PM Modi said that the state has made phenomenal contributions to national progress, and has excelled in diverse fields.
Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said, "Best wishes to the people of Maharashtra on Maharashtra Day. This state has made phenomenal contributions to national progress. The people of the state have excelled in diverse fields. I pray for the prosperity of the people of Maharashtra."
Maharashtra Day, commonly known as Maharashtra Diwas, is celebrated to mark the bifurcation of "Bombay" state on a linguistic basis into two states: Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The Bombay Reorganization Act came into effect on May 1, 1960, as a result of several protests and movements that demanded the creation of an individual state.