People will drown Maharashtra's enemy in Arabian Sea, says Shiv Sena on IFSC transfer move

The ongoing tussle between the Shiv Sena and BJP over the Centre's decision to shift International Financial Service Center (IFSC) from Mumbai to Gujarat's Gandhinagar intensified on Monday (May 4) with the Shiv Sena attacking both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis for this move.

In an editorial published in its mouthpiece ''Saamana'', Shiv Sena said that in 2015 the then PM Narendra Modi-led governmment at the Centre had rejected Mumbai and Bengaluru's offer and decided to shift the IFSC to Ahmedabad in Gujarat. It added that BJP leader Fadnavis was then the CM of Maharashtra but he did not raise any objection to this move by the Centre and presently also Fadnavis is supporting Gujarat instead of Gujarat. 

The 'Saamana' editorial said that some leaders in the BJP are now asking what is the the contribution of Maharashtra in the economic development of India? This question causes anger in the minds of ordinary Maharashtrian as one day they may also raise doubt the contributions of Shivaji and others who have laid down their lives for this country. The Saamana editorial said that these people should be tied to a pole near Hutatma Chowk in South Mumbai.

Upping the ante against the BJP, the Saamana editorial mentioned that these shameless people live in Maharashtra and they are disloyal to the state. The Sena claimed that Mumbai feeds around 50% population of the country and 30% tax of the country comes only from Mumbai and anyone who is unwilling to accept these facts does not deserve to live in Maharashtra. 

Taking a potshot at PM Modi, the 'Saamana' editorial said that though the decision to shift IFSC to Gandhinagar may be technically correct but there is no denying the fact that the prime minister is biased towards his home state. The editorial added that PM Modi has already caused a great deal of damage to Maharashtra by shifting several industries and financial institutions from Maharashtra and Gujarat. 

Launching a scathing attack on former CM Fadnavis, Shiv Sena said that it has raised its voice against the Centre's decision but the former CM is not supporting the state government and a day will come when the people of the state will drown these people in Arabian Sea.

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar had also raised his objection on the Centre's decision and had requested PM Modi to revisit his decision.

"The Centre’s decision to locate the newly created International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Authority at Gujarat's Gandhinagar will not only cause financial damage to the country, but also bring international discredit by undermining the importance of Mumbai," Pawar said in a letter to PM Modi on Saturday.