mid-day interview: Narayan Rane slams Thackeray cousins

Targeting the Thackeray cousins ahead of the BMC polls, former Sainik and Congress leader, Narayan Rane, said that the two will never come up with a development plan, but will once again fool the voters on emotional issues such as language, religion and regionalism.

Narayan Rane at mid-day's office at Parel, where he interacted with the editorial team. Pic/Bipin Kokate

He said it felt as if the Thackerays have taken a contract to finish the Marathi people in the city, by way of their politics, which is devoid of any vision that can give jobs, better living conditions or a cordial atmosphere.

Policy of hate
"The Shiv Sena has reduced Mumbai to a city with the worst living conditions. This has been happening for 25 years only because the people supported its emotional issues. The Sena's ideology is akin to Hitler's thinking. It is based on hatred," Rane told mid-day's editorial team during his visit to the paper's office on Thursday.

Raj is no different
Rane said Raj Thackeray too was no different.

"Raj instigated Govinda mandals to breach the Supreme Court's directives. Who will face court cases and get punished? Not Raj but the helpless youth will suffer.

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Raj does not leave his comforts and Uddhav rarely goes out," he said, adding that Sena's environment minister (Ramdas Kadam) has shut industries in MMR causing a loss of 44,000 jobs.

Rane said the Sena would not part ways with the BJP in BMC polls.

"The Sena wants power at any cost. And the BJP too has lost its Modi effect. The two parties will definitely come together in the BMC polls," he said.

Rane blamed CM Devendra Fadnavis for the city's mess in infrastructure and housing issues and said he doesn't know anything about Mumbai. "While the Sena is full of extortionist leaders, the BJP too will try to get its share by selling government land in the city on the pretext of creating affordable housing on salt pan land. This will be the biggest scam of the future," he said.

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‘CM fooling the people'
"Fadnavis is fooling the people by announcing projects like super communications highway between Nagpur and Mumbai. In fact, it is his plan to divert all the money to Vidarbha before the region is separated from Maharashtra. The money that this government will raise through land sales in Mumbai will go to Vidarbha," he said.