In an indication that the Shiv Sena may be softening its stance on the mega oil refinery, which was proposed at Nanar in Ratnagiri district, but scrapped later, Thackeray scion Aaditya said they objected to the project as sons-of-the-soil were against it, adding the party would support whatever the locals want.
The statement came a day after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the locals are open to the project and the debate on whether it can come up at Nanar should be revived. Fadnavis’s remark was seen as a retort to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s comment that the Metro-3 depot at Aarey Milk Colony would go the Nanar way.
The two parties are yet to arrive at an amicable solution to share the 288 Assembly seats for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking to reporters during his Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Thane district, Aaditya said, “The Sena is not against development, but not at the cost of citizens. We are against the Nanar project as the sons-of-the soil opposed it. We are with the locals on this issue.”
During his Mahajanadesh Yatra in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district, Fadnavis claimed many people were in favour of the project. “I had repeatedly said and cried hoarse that the refinery should come up in Nanar. It’s a green refinery and it will give jobs to one lakh youth of Konkan and transform the region. But because of allegations and protests, the project was stopped. Looking at your enthusiasm, I think we must discuss bringing this project back here,” he said on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}During his Mahajanadesh Yatra in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district, Fadnavis claimed many people were in favour of the project. “I had repeatedly said and cried hoarse that the refinery should come up in Nanar. It’s a green refinery and it will give jobs to one lakh youth of Konkan and transform the region. But because of allegations and protests, the project was stopped. Looking at your enthusiasm, I think we must discuss bringing this project back here,” he said on Tuesday.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Sena MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Vinayak Raut said only “land mafias” are in favour of the project. “If the project-affected persons are in favour, the Sena will not oppose it. But the ones in favour are not originally from these villages. They are land mafias who have purchased plots. Listening to these people is unfortunate. The chief minister should go to the villages [that will be affected] and speak and not visit a town like Rajapur to make statements,” he told HT.
Shiv Sena functionaries said the CM’s statement has not gone down well with the party leadership. “It seems like posturing after Uddhav ji opposed the Aarey decision. It is unlikely that the alliance will be affected due to this,” a party functionary said.