Tokyo: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit here to woo investors, today condemned violence at Maruti Suzuki's Manesar plant, stating such incidents should not happen anywhere in the world.
Amid speculation that he would be pitching for more investment from Suzuki Motor Corp, parent of the Indian carmaker, Modi said, "Anywhere it should not happen. Human safety is the priority and I do feel (for) those who have lost their lives."
A senior company executive was burnt alive and 100 others were injured, following which the company has declared a lockout at the plant.
Speaking to reporters, he said, "It should not happen anywhere in the world, not only in India, or in Haryana or in Gujarat, it is not an issue where it has happened."
However, he expressed confidence that the Haryana government can deal with the situation. "I am sure that the Haryana government is capable enough to handle the issue and they will handle it," he said.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), an arm of Suzuki Motor Corp, employs about 3,000 workers at its Manesar plant which produces some of the company's best selling models, such as Swift, Dzire, SX4 and A-Star.
The company had earlier this year announced investment of Rs 4,000 crore to set up a new manufacturing facility in Gujarat in addition to its existing facilities at Manesar and Gurgaon in Haryana. There had been widespread speculation that Maruti might shift out of Haryana due to recurring violence but this was dismissed "as fiction" by company chairman RC Bhargava in New Delhi last week.
MSI has been insisting that the investment in Gujarat was just an expansion and not shifting from Haryana.
PTI
First Published: Monday, July 23, 2012, 19:55