Nagpur (Maharashtra): Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that his party believes in 'Akhand Bharat' and added that Pakistan's Karachi will one day become part of India.
His remark came while he was commenting on a controversy that erupted after a Shiv Sena leader allegedly asked "Karachi Sweets" owner in Mumbai's Bandra West to omit the word "Karachi" from the name.
"We believe in 'Akhand Bharat'. We also believe that Karachi will be a part of India one day," Fadnavis told reporters here on November 21.
A video of Shiv Sena leader Nitin Nandgaokar went viral last week, where he was seen allegedly asking Karachi Sweets shop owner in Bandra West to change the name "Karachi".
"You have to do it, we're giving you time. Change 'Karachi' to something in Marathi," said Nandgaokar in the video.
Read: Hindutva means tolerance: Fadnavis on ex-vice prez's statement
Later, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that the demand for changing names of Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets is not his party's official stance.
"Karachi bakery and Karachi sweets have been in Mumbai since last 60 years. They have nothing to do with Pakistan. It makes no sense to ask for changing their names now. Demand for changing their name is not Shivsena's official stance," Raut tweeted on November 19.
On Sunday, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik said that his party Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will welcome the move if BJP creates one country by merging India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Read: NCP leader reacts to Fadnavis Karachi comment
"The way Devendra ji has said that time will come Karachi will be the part of India. We have been saying that India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should be merged. If the Berlin wall can be demolished then why can't India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh come together? If BJP wishes to merge these three countries and make a single country, we will welcome it definitely," Malik told a news agency.
(With inputs from ANI)
