MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday hit out at PM Narendra Modi saying that since ‘Modi ki guarantee’ was not working, the PM had been forced to ask for votes in Balasaheb Thackeray’s name in Maharashtra. Accusing the MahaYuti govt of trying to bring “Adani ki sultani (Adani’s rule)” to the state, he said he would scrap decisions favouring Adani in the first cabinet meeting of the next MVA govt and take back all land given to the group in Mumbai.
Thackeray said there was a real threat of Mumbai’s status as India’s financial capital being undermined by MahaYuti. He said the NITI Aayog’s blueprint for the economic transformation of the MMR will be shelved as it was a ploy to loosen the state’s control over the city. He said he would also scrap the MoU signed between planning agency MMRDA and the World Economic Forum and, if needed, stop the MMRDA from working in Mumbai if it is seen to erode BMC’s autonomy.
He was speaking at the final MVA rally at BKC’s Pathaka Maidan. The campaign for the polls ends at 5pm Monday; Sunday evening’s was the last mega rally in the city. City Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad was present with other MVA functionaries.
He said if the MahaYuti wins on November 23, crackers will be burst in Gujarat. “In MVA’s first cabinet meeting, all given to Adani will be taken back. Dharavikars will be resettled in Dharavi along with their houses and industries.”
“This government wants to increase the GDP of Mumbai. Niti Aayog has suggestions. Mumbai can’t be turned into a UT. BMC polls have not been held… Mumbai is being looted by this govt’s friends.”
He asked if the call for a “dharma-yudh of votes” given by BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis adheres to the model code of conduct. “I was asked to remove the words “Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji” from our poll anthem before the Lok Sabha polls. Now EC must tell me if ‘dharma-yudh of votes’ is allowed or not.”
Referring to a statement by Pankaja Munde, he said people from Gujarat had been brought to keep a watch on voters across 90,000 booths in Maharashtra. “Pankaja, you have done a great job, you removed the blindfold from the eyes of Maharashtra. Just like our Chandrachud (ex-CJI) removed the blindfold from the eyes of goddess of justice and tied it on his own eyes, you removed the blindfold from the eyes of Maharashtra,” he said.
