Uddhav Thackeray questions delay in inauguration of e-way

Mumbai Former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has raised doubts over the delay in the opening of Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway

Mumbai Former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has raised doubts over the delay in the opening of Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway. He questioned if the deferment two days before the proposed inauguration of the expressway, originally scheduled for May 1, was because of an accident or deliberate.

Maharashtra, Apr 20 (ANI): Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray addresses media over coronavirus lockdown, in Mumbai on Monday. (ANI Photo) (ANI)

Minutes after the inauguration of the E-way by prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday morning, Thackeray said that it should have been thrown open long ago. He said that the e-way has been constructed from tax payer’s money and he insisted on opening of the 225-km at the earliest when he was the CM.

“It was scheduled to be opened on May 1 this year, but two days prior to it I was told that an arch on it collapsed leading to the postponement of the inauguration. I wonder if it fell on its own or if it was a deliberate. I did not ask for a probe into it. Nobody knows why the inauguration was stalled. We had planned to open up 225-km phase during our government. I was asking them (Eknath Shinde who was the minister of the department which built the e-way) to open it up for the people at the earliest,” he said.

The Thackeray government was toppled after Shinde walked away with about 50 other rebel MLAs and formed the government with Bharatiya Janata Party in June this year.

Thackeray also said that over 500-km phase of the e-way could be opened on Sunday because of the government led by him completed the portion of it. “Nobody should claim the credit for the completion of the e-way,” Thackeray said.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde had taken potshot at Thackeray in his speech during the inauguration of the e-way in Nagpur on Sunday. Without naming Thackeray, he said that some people tried to create hurdles in the way of the construction but they ensured the completion of it.

Thackeray also took a dig at Shinde for his silence on Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute. “Karnataka chief minister (B Bommai) has been adamant and arrogant while speaking about the border dispute. He said that the meeting with union home minister would not help. The atrocities against Marathi-speaking people has continued, despite that our CM has maintained silence. I want to ask prime minister Modiji as to why he does not speak in favour of Maharashtra and whether he would speak to give justice to Maharashtra,” he said in a press conference held at his residence Matoshri in Bandra.

Thackeray also hit out at Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and questioned his presence on the dais with prime minister Narendra Modi after passing derogatory remarks against the icons of Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and National Congress Party, the three constituents of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi are gearng up for a protest march on December 17. MVA leader Anil Desai, Vinayak Raut, Arif Naseem Khan, Hemant Takle visited the spot in Byculla from where the march will commence.