Mumbai: On the eve of the crucial elections to the Maharashtra legislative assembly, NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar rubbished allegations levelled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray against industrialist Gautam Ad. vis-a-vis the Dharavi project.
Pawar’s remarks are interesting in the context of the fact that both Gandhi and Thackeray have been asserting that they would scrap the Dharavi project if voted to power. Pawar’s party is a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) and his statement favouring Ad. has caused acute embarrassment to both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) that too when the elections are virtually at the doorstep of the state.
Pawar told a portal that Ad. was not even earlier interested in the Dharavi project. It was a UAE company which evinced interest in the mega project. Ad. entered the scene much later. Amit Malviya, head of the social media cell of the BJP, promptly tweeted the interview of Pawar. He said “Uddhav and Rahul had been lying all along to mislead Mumbai and (the rest) of Maharashtra. It was the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA, which had signed off the Dharavi project to Ad. Group.”
Pawar’s stance has delivered a body blow to the MVA since both Gandhi and Thackeray have placed the Dharavi redevelopment project high on their agenda. Both the leaders have been extremely acerbic in their criticism of Ad. and the huge slum project.
Even as late as Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh had issued a press release slamming the Maha Yuti government for allegedly conferring a slew of benefits on Ad. with an eye on Dharavi. On Monday, Gandhi had flaunted a picture of Ad. with PM Modi. The BJP reiterated by releasing pictures of Ad. with Robert Vadra, Gandhi’s brother in law, and Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP.
BJP leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and Ashish Shelar have defended the Dharavi project. They said if implemented it would give decent housing to thousands of Dharavikars and also be a game-changer for Mumbai.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had recently embarrassed the Maha Yuti by claiming that the decision to form a government with the BJP after the 2019 assembly polls was taken at Ad.’s residence where Pawar Sr, Fadnavis and others were present. The Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) were quick to target the Maha Yuti accusing it of being influenced by Ad.. But, Pawar Sr’s open support for Ad. has created a wide rift in the MVA.
