Mumbai: In the backdrop of prolonged load shedding in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday dubbed the power outages as a "political move" by the Congress-NCP alliance government to impose Jaitapur nuclear power project in Maharashtra.
"Yes, it can be a political move as we (Shiv Sena) are opposing the Jaitapur project. Similarly, the nuclear projects are opposed in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Even the governments there are supporting the people who are opposing the project," Udhav said.
He was speaking at the formal launch of an ambitious project of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under which a total of 161 roads in the metropolis would be made of concrete and asphalt at suburban Vikhroli here. Referring to the nuclear power plant at Haripur in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal, Thackeray said, "Congress wants to impose the nuclear project in Jaitapur. But in West Bengal where they are in alliance with Mamata Banerjee`s Trinamool Congress they are not saying a word".
"Congress can not dare say anything to Mamata Banerjee who is opposing the project. PM will also not say anything," he said. The BMC, ruled by Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, has been drawing a flak over a period of time for deplorable condition of roads in the metropolis.
"We have promised the Mumbaikars to give them roads free of potholes. Elections keep coming. We will do more work ahead of the elections as we have promised the people. We are not going to sit quiet when criticisms are made at us. But with more enthusiasm work would be done," he said.
Rejecting criticism that Shiv Sena has launched a spree of inaugurations to woo voters ahead of the BMC elections slated early next year, Uddhav said, "yes, we are doing a good work as a reason we are inaugurating it (the project) ahead of the BMC elections."
PTI