Those who want to attract industries to their states or hold an industrial summit have no alternative but to come to Mumbai and that is the strength of Maharashtra, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said while commenting on Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, Fadnavis underlined the importance of Mumbai as the financial capital of the country and called it ‘the powerhouse of India’. “See the strength of Mumbai and Maharashtra. If anyone (any state) in the country wants to attract industries to them or hold an industrial summit, they have no alternative but to come to Mumbai. That is our strength,” he said.
During his Mumbai visit, Yogi Adityanath called upon several banking- and financial sector- leaders in Mumbai and invited them to become partners in the development of his state.
However, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction lashed out at the Eknath Shinde-helmed Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena – Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government saying that since the formation of the current government, the importance of Maharashtra had been reduced at the behest of Delhi. State Congress president and former speaker Nana Patole mirrored similar sentiments.
Asked about the MVA’s criticism that the UP CM is in Maharashtra to take away businesses from the state, Fadnavis said that no one takes away anyone’s business and that so far as industries in Maharashtra are concerned, no one can take them away.
“Every state has its own strength, every state has its own geography and natural advantages and as per the natural advantages, the businesses tend to go there. For instance, Gujarat and Rajasthan have big desert land and that is why there is ample land available. Ample land is made available for the solar panels and that is why green hydrogen projects go there, so there is no need to worry,” he said.
He added that on the other hand, everyone should feel proud that Mumbai is the financial capital of the state and that one has to come to Mumbai.
Fadnavis also criticised NCP leader Ajit Pawar for his remarks on Dharmaveer. Fadnavis said that no one was refusing to call Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Swarajya Rakshak. “He (Sambhaji Maharaj) is Swarajya Rakshak but saying that he is not Dharmaveer is a kind of treason (droh) to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and an injustice to the king himself. Why did Sambhaji Maharaj have to face atrocities, what did Aurangzeb say? Chhatrapati Sambhaji fought for dev (God), desh (country) and dharma (religion) in the real sense. Had Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj not been there, there would not be any Hindus left in Maharashtra. So, he is Dharmaveer and not calling him Dharmaveer is treason (droh),” Fadnavis said.
Asked about NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s comment that they will continue to call NCP chief Sharad Pawar Janata Raja, Fadnavis said, “In this country, there is only one Janata Raja and that is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. If anyone wants to call their leader anything, they can do so but the common people will not.”
When asked about Pawar’s jibe at BJP’s Mission 45 for the Lok Sabha in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said that the BJP had proved by achieving Mission 43 (in the 2019 general elections) so Mission 45 too was not a big deal. “We will try for all 48 seats but we also know that perhaps we will be getting all 48 seats and that is why we have termed it Mission 45,” he said.
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