Uddhav Thackeray has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of trying to transform Mumbai into "Adani City" by handing over the prime Dharavi land to the Adani Group. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday, Thackeray slammed the government, suggesting that there is a pattern of favoritism towards certain contractors and industrialists.
"The government has a 'favorite contractor' or 'favorite industrialist' scheme in place," Thackeray remarked. He was referring to the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, which he sees as another example of the ruling government's deceptive promises aimed at swaying voters ahead of upcoming elections.
Thackeray asserted that the government believes that people will forget their past misdeeds and fall for these false promises, ultimately voting for them. "They have a delusion that the public will be swayed by these fraudulent schemes," he said, adding that he would focus on the 'favorite contractor' scheme, specifically highlighting the Dharavi redevelopment.
Thackeray reiterated his party's longstanding stance on the Dharavi redevelopment: "Our position has always been, and will continue to be, that the residents of Dharavi must receive their rightful homes in the same location, and these homes should be 500 square feet." He emphasized that Dharavi is not just a slum but a unique community with numerous micro-industries ranging from pottery to leather goods, each contributing significantly to the local economy.
Commenting on recent developments, Thackeray expressed concern that the government is manipulating policies to benefit their contractor friends, specifically the Adani Group. "Modi and Shah have already taken away Mumbai’s GIFT City to Gujarat, and now they plan to turn Mumbai into Adani City. They might even change the city's name someday," Thackeray warned.
He highlighted the discrepancies in the tender process for the Dharavi project, pointing out that the 590-acre plot, which includes residential areas, Mahim Nature Park, and Tata Power Station, has been unfairly allocated without transparent FSI details. "They're numbering houses now, setting criteria to deem them ineligible, and then vacating them. Once Dharavi is emptied, it will be handed over to Adani. This disrupts the urban balance. This tender should be canceled and reissued transparently to a deserving party," Thackeray demanded.