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Raj Thackeray criticises CM over corporate monopoly concerns
MNS chief Raj Thackeray criticised CM Devendra Fadnavis over his remarks on politics and industry, sparking fresh debate in the state’s political landscape
Pune: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray sharply criticised chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Pune over his remarks on politics and industry, sparking fresh debate in the state’s political landscape.
Speaking on the final day of the poll campaign, Thackeray clarified that he is not against industrialists or their investments, but strongly opposes what he called concentrated corporate monopoly under current government policies. He highlighted the rapid rise of the Adani Group, noting it expanded in just a decade, unlike older business houses such as Ambani, Tata, and Birla, which took decades to grow, and attributed this to a “red carpet” approach by the central government.
Thackeray argued that such concentration gives excessive control over vital sectors like power, steel, and cement, potentially threatening India’s economic security.
He also questioned acquisitions of airports and ports, alleging many were obtained under pressure or hastily, rather than through organic growth, warning that control of national infrastructure by a single group could negatively impact the economy.
Responding to Fadnavis’s earlier comments dismissing his criticism as “foolish,” Thackeray insisted his concerns were serious and centred on corporate dominance and political priorities. A day earlier in Mumbai, Fadnavis had stated that not only Adani, but several other business houses have grown multifold in recent years.
