Sena (UBT) slams Dy CM for remark on anti-Barsu refinery protest

While the Shiv Sena (UBT) termed the comments as ‘anti-Maharashtra’ and an ‘insult to the people of Konkan’, the anti-Barsu refinery committee demanded that either Fadnavis should prove his allegations or should tender an apology.

Mumbai: Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s remarks that the anti-development lobby is active in anti-Barsu refinery protests has snowballed into a controversy. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) termed the comments as ‘anti-Maharashtra’ and an ‘insult to the people of Konkan’, the anti-Barsu refinery committee demanded that either Fadnavis should prove his allegations or should tender an apology.

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“There is a lobby which always opposes developmental projects in India. Some people involved in anti-Barsu protests have links with these people and organisations. All these people were also seen in the anti-Aarey carshed protests, anti-bullet train protests and other developmental projects. It is revealed that some people who were active in the Barsu protests visited Bengaluru often. They have links with banned organisations like ‘GreenPeace’. It was also revealed that these people received money from some accounts from Bengaluru,” Fadnavis said. He questioned their source of funding.

On Saturday, Amol Bole, Nitin Jathar, Narendra Joshi, Satyajeet Chavan and others from the Barsu-Solgaon anti-refinery organisation demanded an apology from Fadnavis in a press conference. The anti-Barsu refinery committee was ready to submit their bank account details and passbooks to the government to prove they did not receive any funds from any ‘outsiders.’

“The Shinde-Fadnavis government is trying to defame the locals, who were protesting against the oil refinery. But this is an insult to all those in the state who have to fight for their rights as citizens.” the committee said in a statement.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the remarks show that BJP is anti-Konkan and hates Maharashtra.

“Be it Nanar or Barsu. It is often seen that BJP is a Maharashtra hater, and along with that, it is seen that traitors (CM Shinde) betray the Konkani people. By alleging links of local protestors with Pakistan, and foreign funding, these Maharashtra haters (Fadnavis-Shinde) were trying to show that Konkani people are anti-national. Tomorrow these people will call Konkani people Naxalites and will frame them under the sedition law.” Thackeray said.

Meanwhile, PWD minister Ravindra Chavan tweeted that Dy CM Fadnavis has urged the common man from Barsu and local villagers that the government will listen to them, but they should keep ‘outsiders’ away from the protests.