In the midst of criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray regarding foreign tours planned by ministers, Industries Minister Uday Samant has come to the defence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who recently cancelled his scheduled trips to the UK and Germany. Thackeray had earlier accused CM Shinde of planning foreign visits without a clear agenda, prompting Shinde to abruptly cancel the tours.
In his critique of the Shinde government's foreign travel, Thackeray also questioned why Minister Uday Samant was planning a visit to Davos four months before the World Economic Forum (WEF). He pointed out that Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe led a 50-member delegation on a study tour abroad and questioned the purpose of the trip, given the pressing issues facing the state, particularly the challenges faced by farmers.
In response, Minister Samant, speaking in Pune, Samant said, "CM Shinde has postponed his foreign tour because of the cloudburst occurrence in Nagpur, as well as current agitations in the state. Reports of him cancelling the tour due to someone’s tweet are absurd."
Samant also outlined his own upcoming visit to London with Cabinet colleague Sudhir Mungantiwar, explaining, "I will remain present for the tiger claw MOU function." He further justified the Davos trip by underscoring the success of previous engagements, quoting, "On his proposed Davos visit, Samant said the government signed MoUs worth ₹80,000 crores in 2022. A total of 19 agreements were signed in 2023 and contracts worth ₹1.37 lakh crore have been signed and 70 per cent of the work has been completed, Samant noted."
Thackeray, however, continued to voice his concerns about foreign tours, asserting, "What research was conducted during this tour? Farmers are suffering here, and money is being squandered in this way."