At MVA rally in Mumbai, Uddhav vows to visit Barsu, says it is ‘not Pak-occupied Kashmir’

Stating that Barsu in Ratnagiri district was not “Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir”, Mr. Thackeray, addressing a rally at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex, announced he would visit Barsu on May 6 and meet with locals protesting the refinery project

The third joint rally by Maharashtra’s Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) troika in Mumbai on May 1 saw Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar launch a strong attack on the State government while warning people of not falling prey to its “socially divisive tactics.”

While former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took on the ruling Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government over the Barsu refinery project in Ratnagiri district in the Konkan region at the rally held on Maharashtra Day, Mr. Pawar , launched an uncharacteristically sharp attack on both Mr. Shinde and Mr. Fadnavis.

Also read: Ratnagiri project won’t proceed until protesters’ doubts are cleared, Maharashtra Minister assures NCP supremo

All top leaders of the Sena (UBT), the NCP and the Congress hinted in their speeches that the three parties would unitedly contest elections in the future.

Stating that Barsu (in Ratnagiri district) was not “Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir”, Mr. Thackeray, addressing a jam-packed rally at Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex, announced he would visit Barsu on May 6 and meet with locals protesting the refinery project.

Mr. Thackeray, who has been accused by the ruling government of ‘double standards’ over Barsu — as he had proposed the refinery site to the Centre as an alternative to Nanar (also in Ratnagiri) when he was CM — launched a verbal assault on the BJP and the Sena’s Shinde faction.

“How dare you try to stop me? It is not PoK or Bangladesh… I will first visit Barsu and then go to Mahad [in Raigad] for my rally. Yes, I had proposed Barsu as an alternative site … But in my letter to the Centre, I had never said that police should use lathis and bullets on locals protesting the project,” said Mr. Thackeray adding his first concern was the preservation of environment. He clarified that he was not opposed to progress and development.