Responding to the debate under Rule 293 on the development of Mumbai and nearby cities, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday launched a forceful attack on the Opposition in the Assembly. In his address to the House, he launched a scathing attack on the opposition and reiterated Jayant Rao Patil’s views.
He told Abu Azmi: “Ajami sir, our Jayant Rao ji has rightly said that those who do not ask for a dog, these days go on social media and insult everyone. They even insult the chief minister. Some such hired ponies have also posted about this missing link on social media, taking money.”
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“If you insult Maharashtra, I will not leave”
He further said, “I also want to tell those who have posted on social media that if you insult Maharashtra, I will not leave you.” He also defended the project and called it a brilliant global example of engineering.
Taking a strong stand amid trolling and allegations of corruption on social media following the recent Mumbai-Pune Missing Link Expressway collapse, CM Fadnavis called himself “proof of malpractice”.
Why did the controversy over the missing link begin?
The recently launched Rs 7,000-crore project triggered a landslide due to heavy rains, halting traffic for about 18 hours and triggering political accusations. The opposition immediately attacked the Mahayuti government and accused it of corruption as well as structural deficiencies. In response to this harsh criticism, Chief Minister Fadnavis did not hesitate to accuse opposition leaders of lying.
He said, “The issue of Pune-Mumbai link has been raised due to heavy rains. Such outright liars were born. It seems that they must have been born after the death of one crore liars.” He said that the previous coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had almost scrapped the project.
He said: “The chief minister of the previous government wrote a two-page note outlining 14 reasons why Missing Link could not be created and closed the case. But the Mahayuti government had the courage, so we did it.” Chief Minister Fadnavis rejected claims that the structural strength of the project had been undermined or that public money had been “wasted”. He told the House the reality of the incident.
Missing link broken due to falling debris – SM.
The CM said: “Due to heavy rains, rock debris fell on the outer arch and broke under pressure. There are no cracks in the main structure. The tunnel’s comprehensive safety system worked perfectly. Heavy cranes arrived at the site within three minutes of pressing the emergency button.”
Chief Minister Fadnavis went after “paid trolls” on social media and along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde highlighted the achievements of his administration. He said, “It is okay to say bad things about Devendra Fadnavis. I’m used to it. These things don’t affect me. One thing I have learned in life is that in 10 years, the people who say bad things today may not be visible, but the “link” will remain and the names of Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde will be on it. You can defame me as much as you like, but if you defame Maharashtra, I will not blame anyone, I will not spare anyone.
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