Uddhav Thackeray, the supreme leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), claimed that the establishment of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) by the NITI Aayog was a "deliberate attempt to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra" by diminishing the significance of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He made these remarks while addressing a rally in BKC on November 17.
A day before the end of the assembly election campaign, Thackeray spoke at a rally at Mumbai's BKC Ground and promised that if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) came into power, it would revoke the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), claiming that the agreement was intended to "diminish" the significance of the BMC. He said that he wouldn’t hesitate to disband the MMRDA if the department tries to encroach on the BMC’s jurisdiction.
The "conspiracy" to split Mumbai from Maharashtra is a "serious and imminent threat" rather than only "loose talk." The ploy is real, but we will never allow this to happen, he stated.
Following NITI Aayog's development report, Thackeray added, MMRDA and WEF signed a pact in September to promote the metropolitan area as a global economic hub. The NITI Aayog blueprint lowers the importance of the Mumbai civic body, and that is an obvious attempt to separate the Mumbai city from Maharashtra, he said.
The former chief minister further pledged that eliminating the policies of the (Mahayuti) government that had given the Adani Group land in Mumbai would be the first move of an MVA government.
"I am not anti-development, but I am anti-destruction," Thackeray stated, denying any role in impeding progress.
He further asserted that his reluctance to permit the "looting of Maharashtra" was the reason behind the fall of his Maharashtra government in June 2022 and the following rift among the Shiv Sena.
"The courts haven't given me justice. For the benefit of Maharashtra, I ask you for justice," he continued, referring to the ongoing Supreme Court case involving the disqualification of Shiv Sena lawmakers.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that it was ironic that the BJP, which had previously banned the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), had to erect a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat while running for office in Maharashtra under the name Balasaheb Thackeray. Uddhav Thackeray said that this is the revenge of time.
Thackeray attacked the BJP's "Ek hai to Safe Hai" slogan, saying, "Modi should step down if people feel unsafe while he is in power. When Modi is present, only the dishonest and traitors feel secure.
Additionally, Thackeray called it a "grave crisis" for the state and accused the government of giving the Adani Group control over vital infrastructure in Maharashtra, including ports, airports, energy, mines, and schools.
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