Decisions like Dharavi redevelopment bad for Mumbai and Maharashtra, claims Uddhav

File Photo

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday that the way Dharavi is being redeveloped is bad for Mumbai and Maharashtra and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for calling Saturday's protest march by his party against the project as a "settlement morcha" (agitation to extort money).

The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties like the Congress and the NCP have alleged the Maharashtra government is bestowing favours on the Adani Group, which was chosen through a tender to undertake the ambitious project.

"Decisions like Dharavi redevelopment are bad for Mumbai and Maharashtra. Our protest march was not a settlement morcha because the BJP was not part of it. Only the BJP indulges in settlement," Thackeray said.

On Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' claim that Saturday's morcha comprised people from other areas and not Dharavi, Thackeray hit back saying the participants were brought from the moon on board Chandrayaan that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent.

He also hit out at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's criticism of Saturday's morcha by stating "we are not getting to know who are the chamchas of Adani".

On the Maratha quota issue, Thackeray said the community must get reservation without it affecting benefits of other groups.

Without naming Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief those who had taken oath to give reservation by touching the feet of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj must now go ahead and fulfil the demand.

Also read: Mumbai: DRI arrests Nigerian operating drug syndicate from Greater Noida

He also said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) should be formed to probe the links between Salim Kutta, a 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict and aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, and minister and senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan.

"The pictures of Mahajan and Kutta are with us. Mahajan attended the marriage of Kutta's kin in 2017. But Fadnavis has given him a clean chit. It is the height of hypocrisy. The BJP attacked Praful Patel over links with Iqbal Mirchi and is now working with Patel," Thackeray alleged.

Queried about the inauguration of the Surat Diamond Bourse by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Thackeray wanted to know if the former was PM of India or CM of Gujarat.

"You are taking away businesses from Mumbai to Gujarat. Is mother India so weak that she will be strong only when Gujarat gets strong," Thackeray asked. (With inputs from PTI)