Tata-Airbus project: Shinde should resign the way British PM Truss did, says NCP, Uddhav Sena seeks Samant’s exit

While the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has demanded resignation of Shinde for another key development project going to the neighbouring state, stating that the CM should take moral responsibility for the development and resign the way British Prime Minister Liz Truss did, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena has asked Samant to resign for “misleading the state” over the Tata-Airbus project.

Alleging that the Shinde-(Devendra) Fadnavis government was installed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to take away all key projects from Maharashtra to Gujarat, NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase told The Indian Express on Sunday: “One after another, key projects which could further push the development of Maharashtra and provide jobs to lakhs of youths are being taken away from the state. Every other project seem to be heading for Gujarat. This only highlights the fact that the BJP installed the Shinde-Fadnavis government to play its dirty political game.”

Tapase further stated: “The Chief Minister should take the responsibility of Maharashtra being hit economically. British PM resigned after 45 days in power over the economic crisis faced by her country. Similarly, Chief Minister Shinde should quit owning moral responsibility over the failure of his government to stop crucial development projects being spirited away to Gujarat. The Maharashtra Government led by Eknath Shinde has repeatedly failed to stop the projects from going to Gujarat. His government has failed to protect the interest of Maharashtra and the people of Maharashtra.”

Stating that Gujarat was committing “surgical strikes,” Tapase said, “The way the BJP has launched an attack on Maharashtra shows that a surgical strike was underway. The surgical strike is coming from Gujarat through BJP. Even as the strike has hit Maharashtra, the CM has remained a mere spectator and is doing nothing to alleviate the state’s sufferings. After Vedanta project went to Gujarat, the Chief Minister had said that Tata-Airbus project will come to Nagpur. Now his lie has been exposed and he should quit his office,” he said.

Seeking Industries Minister Samant’s resignation, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, “At least four major projects which were supposed to come to Maharashtra have gone elsewhere. The Shinde-Fadnavis government is pulling Maharashtra back. The Industry Ministry has no clue about the way his department is functioning. The project has already gone to Gujarat and he is busy harping on bringing it back. He should instead resign….”

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Thackeray questioned Samant’s claim that the Tata-Airbus project went to Gujarat a year ago. “If the Tata-Airbus contract had been signed a year ago, why would Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari write a letter to the Tata Group asking for the project to be located in Nagpur? The Industries Minister knows nothing about his own ministry.”

State Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said, “We are not demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister or the Deputy Chief Minister. This is because the government itself is an illegal and unconstitutional one. Its fate is in the hands of the Supreme Court where its constitutional validity has been challenged. Every day is a bonus day for the government. Unfortunately, each new day is bringing bad news for Maharashtra as the state is losing key economic development projects. The latest project, Tata-Airbus, only highlights the fact that the government installed by the BJP in the state is a puppet government meant to deprive the people of Maharashtra of development.”

The Congress said the Shinde-Fadnavis government has no right to stay in power. “Already it is an illegal government. And now, its dubious role as one working against the interest of Maharashtra has been exposed. This government should be dismissed forthwith,” Tiwari added.