The Shiv Sena on Thursday said the mega semiconductor project of Vedanta-Foxconn going to Gujarat was an attack on Maharashtra's "prestige".This was just the beginning and one day the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government might even "trade Mumbai," said the editorial in the Sena mouthpiece "Saamana".
Before this, an international finance centre (which eventually took shape as Gujarat International Finance Tech- GIFT City) was shifted to Gujarat from Mumbai, the editorial alleged. Without naming the BJP, the Sena mouthpiece alleged that like this project, some people also harbour the desire to "conquer" Mumbai-Thane and undermine Maharashtra's prosperity.This was the reason a 'puppet chief minister' was installed in Maharashtra, Saamana alleged.When BJP's Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister from 2014-19, the GIFT City project was handed over to Gujarat, and current CM Eknath Shinde similarly allowed the semiconductor plant to slip away, it claimed.'Tomorrow they will not hesitate to even trade Mumbai. Foxconn is a start,' the editorial said.'This is a serious attack on Maharashtra's prestige,' it further said.
On Vedanta-Foxconn's decision to set up a semiconductor facility in Gujarat instead of Maharashtra, Vedanta Resources Ltd Chairman Anil Agarwal on Wednesday said that the company is still committed to investing in Maharashtra. Mr Agarwal said that the company chose Gujarat for the deal on the basis of professional and independent advice.