‘Just because he is from Gujarat..’: Raj Thackeray targets PM Modi, says he should take care of all states
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, MNS chief Raj Thackeray said Sunday it does not suit his stature that projects from Maharashtra were shifted to his home state of Gujarat.
The MNC chief’s remark seemed to allude to last year when a political blame game had erupted in Maharashtra after a joint venture of Indian mining conglomerate Vedanta and Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat Government to set up its new semiconductor plant in the state.
PM Modi had called the MoU “an important step accelerating India’s semiconductor manufacturing ambitions. The investment of Rs 1.54 lakh crore will create a significant impact to boost the economy and jobs. This will also create a huge ecosystem for ancillary industries and help our MSMEs”.
However, after the JV’s announcement, officials had said the decision came within two months of what they called “almost” finalising the plan for the plant in Maharashtra at a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Opposition parties had then blamed the BJP and the prime minister for ‘taking away’ the project out of Maharashtra ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections.
While speaking at the 18th Jagtik Marathi Sammelan organised by Dr D Y Patil University and the Jagtik Marathi Academy in Pimpri, Thackeray said, “The Prime Minister should treat all the states like his children and they should be given similar treatment. Just because he is from Gujarat does not mean that he should favour Gujarat… It does not suit his stature”.
Replying to questions during an interview session, Raj said, “One or two projects going out of Maharashtra will not make any difference to the state. This is because Maharashtra is rich in all aspects. It is ahead of several on several fronts. There is no need to worry about the fate of Maharashtra. Even if we protect whatever we have, we will still remain ahead of others.”
To a question relating to the state of politics in Maharashtra, Raj said, “The politics in Maharashtra has fallen to a new level. National icons are being brazenly insulted… It stuns me to find the way things are taking place in the political field of Maharashtra.”
