Shinde turns blind eye to Barsu issue or has no control over the administration: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has turned a blind eye to what is happening at Barsu in Konkan’s Ratnagiri district or he has ‘no control’ over the administration.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has turned a blind eye to what is happening at Barsu in Konkan’s Ratnagiri district or he has ‘no control’ over the administration.

“Chief Minister was given false information by the district Collector that there was no lathi charge at Barsu on Friday, whereas the truth is tear gas canisters were fired at the protesters to disperse the protesters. Police also resorted to lathi charge,” he said demanding the ouster of the Collector.

On Friday, Mr. Shinde said the project would not be implemented without the local people’s consent and that he spoke to the Ratnagiri collector over the phone and claimed that the on-ground situation was peaceful. “We are a people’s government and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local people’s consent,” he said. However, on the same day, police detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut after he sat on a road there as a mark of protest, which triggered chaos at the site, and tear gas canisters were fired to disperse the protesters.

Mr. Sanjay Raut said that Marathi manoos from Ratnagiri, the sons of the soil, are being attacked by the police for an ‘Islamic’ oil refinery project from Saudi Arabia even as there was a ‘Hindutvawadi’ government in the state. “This is their (the current dispensation’s Hindutva),” he said.

Further, he also alleged that there was no coordination between Mr. Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis on the proposed project. “There is no coordination in the government. In the case of Barsu, the coordination is only between the Saudi Arabia company, an Islamic company…and there is a Hindutvawadi government,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

The project is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. While Uddhav Sena’s MLA Rajan Salvi came out in support of the project, Mr. Sanjay claimed that there was ‘no confusion’ in their party on Barsu issue.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said one should ensure that development projects do not cause any damage to the environment. He urged the Shinde-Fadnavis government to hold talks with all the villagers and find the best possible way out.