Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of being biased against the state and claimed that the Centre was planning to reduce the importance of Mumbai as financial capital of the country and also shut down operations at the JNPT.
State Industries Minister Narayan Rane said that three divisions of RBI's forex department have been shifted to Delhi recently and a letter to editor about the effect this would have in lowering the importance of Mumbai as a financial centre was published in Shiv Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
"However, (Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray, who is the editor of the paper, is so blinded by lust for power that he has not taken note of Modi government's attempt to lower Mumbai's position as an economic centre and financial capital of the country. He is busy with seat-sharing talks and is aiming to be chief minister," Rane alleged.
"If Bal Thackeray was in his place, he would have stopped all alliance talks and demanded that the three RBI divisions be brought back to Mumbai," he said. The Reserve Bank of India was set up in 1935 in Mumbai and has contributed to the emergence of the megapolis as a financial nerve centre.
"Even when Indira Gandhi had once wanted to shift the RBI headquarters to Delhi, YB Chavan explained the importance of having the bank headquartered in Mumbai and the plan was dropped. RBI's contribution in emergence of Mumbai as the hub of banking trade and commerce cannot be ignored," he said.
Congress condemns the Centre's move, Rane said, adding that he will write to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to convene a special Cabinet meeting to oppose the Union government's decision to shift the three divisions to Delhi and demand that the earlier status be resorted.
"The government also plans to shut operations at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and shift to Mundra port in Gujarat. Besides this, there is also plan to hand over redevelopment of 1,800 acre land of Bombay Port trust (BPT), which is valued at Rs 75,000 crore, to an industrialist, close to the present government," Rane further alleged.
He said that the Chinese President was on a business visit to India recently, but instead of bringing him to Mumbai, Ahmedabad was chosen for making investment announcements. "One wonders whether Modi is Prime Minister of India or Gujarat?" he asked.
Rane also criticised the BJP for its hoardings in Mumbai seeking votes for Modi who has blessings of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "Why will Shivaji Maharaj bless Modi for Assembly polls? BJP does not have any face from the state to project. If the party is so respectful towards Shivaji, why is there no provision in the budget for the statue in the Arabian sea?" he
questioned.
Congress will highlight Modi government's "anti-Maharashtra" stance during its campaign for the state Assembly elections, Rane added.
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