‘Unconstitutional’ Shinde-Fadnavis government lost two mega projects: Aaditya Thackeray

Aaditya Thackeray demands reason for loss from the government, defends erstwhile MHA government from allegations of inaction

Shiv Sena leader and Worli legislator Aaditya Thackeray termed the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government as unconstitutional and incompetent, and blamed it for the State losing the $20 billion Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor unit to Gujarat.

In an exclusive conversation with The Hindu on Friday, Mr. Thackeray said Chief Minister Shinde was busy going on cultural tours, while the Industries Minister Uday Samant was busy pleasing the CM. “They aren’t interested in infrastructure works, sustainable development or bringing projects for jobs,” he alleged.

It was “very clear” that the government was caught unawares of the project’s move to Gujarat, despite the High Power Committee meeting and the package being offered, he said. “It’s sad that we have an unconstitutional arrangement that’s only indulging in dirty politics and hasn’t realised that it has lost out on 1.7 lakh jobs with two projects (Vedanta-Foxconn and Bulk Drug Park) going away to other States,” the Yuva Sena president said.

Responding to the Shinde-Fadnavis government’s allegations that the previous Maha Vikas Adhadi (MHV) government didn’t pursue the project meticulously and opposed other mega projects that could have benefited the State, the young Thackeray, said “if we didn’t do so, how did Vedanta issue the Letter of Interest and how did it come to a stage of HPC? Had we not pursued it, it would have fizzled long back. The duty of the government is to explain how it lost out on the project, not justify and represent another State and blame us. The unconstitutional governing arrangement needs to realise that they hold power, albeit illegally. They need to move from the allegation mindset to answer the people.”

When asked why the previous MVA government led by his father and then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray couldn't finalise the deal during the two-and-half-years term, he pointed out that the talks formally began only in January after the Centre’s subsidy proposal in December 2021 for semiconductor chip production.

“Talegaon was finalised and the leaked comparisons of two locations justify Talegaon. Unfortunately, the government changed and the new dispensation lost it,” he said.

Mr. Thackeray said that he has nothing to say about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance to Mr. Shinde about getting a similar project or even a better one. “We are focussed on the current loss due to the incompetence of the CM and Industries Minister.”