CNN-News18 Town Hall: Mumbai is Mumbai, Why Make it Shanghai, Asks Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai has its own culture and identity, why should we make it Shanghai, asked Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis while speaking at the CNN-News18 Town Hall on Saturday. Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said Mumbai can be made better than Shanghai.

“Why make Mumbai Shanghai? Mumbai is Mumbai. It has its own culture, own structure, own identity. We will make Mumbai better than Shanghai. This can be done,” he said.

Fadnavis, however, conceded that the maximum city had a pothole problem. “Potholes are a big problem in Mumbai. CM Eknath Shinde has ordered the BMC to convert all Mumbai roads into concrete roads within two years.”

Fadnavis also exuded confidence that Maharashtra’s economy will be the first in the country to hit the $1 trillion mark. “Maharashtra was the first state to say it will reach $1 trillion and it will be the first state to reach the target,” he said.

Fadnavis further said that in the last two-and-a-half years, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government didn’t have much to show by way of economic progress or law and order.

“Maharashtra administration, especially Mumbai Police, was known for their professionalism. But certain issues like home minister going to jail, the transfer posting scam… painted an image of police in Maharashtra. I believe we went back administratively. No new investment came in. Overall, I?ll say in the last two-and-a-half years, the (Uddhav Thackeray) government cannot say they achieved anything. Except corruption.”

Fadnavis added that the MVA government also mismanaged the Covid-19 pandemic. “I don?t know whether Covid was managed well but the news certainly was. During Covid, the government was on Facebook Live and the people were dying. Maharashtra’s population is around 10% of the country’s but the state’s fatality rate was 20-25%.”

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