Mumbai and MMR cannot be separated from Maharashtra, say Thackeray brothers

The MNS chief pointed out that the airport built in Navi Mumbai would have all of Mumbai airport's cargo operations shifted there.

Mumbai: Mumbai and the larger Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) will not be allowed to be separated from Maharashtra, the Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — reiterated, however, fearing that the process has already been initiated by the BJP-led Centre and State government.

Uddhav, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and Raj, the MNS founder-present, during the discussion with Rajya Sabha member and journalist-politician Sanjay Raut and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, pointed out the lurking fear of Mumbai being separated from Maharashtra.

Their opinions came during the second part of the interview, which appeared in Shiv Sena (UBT)’s mouthpiece Saamana, its Marathi tabloid Dophar ka Saamana and the newspaper group’s online/social media platforms.

"Fundamentally, no one can separate Mumbai from Maharashtra, but the way Mumbai's culture is being eroded is alarming. People come and declare that the language of this area is Gujarati. This means they will destroy our entire identity and culture and keep Mumbai in Maharashtra just for the sake of it,” said Uddhav.

“I just want to say that things are not the same anymore. Now they want Mumbai's land as well. This is not just about property. If we look closely, even during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, the wealthy non-Marathi people of Mumbai were demanding that Mumbai be given to Gujarat. The situation is the same today. If there were five such people then, today there are 500. And the way things are being done or orchestrated in Mumbai through the Central and State governments, that's what I find most dangerous. Now, there's a strategic attempt to break up Mumbai, which is being called the MMR region. Look at the kind of activities going on in this MMR region. A port at Vadhavan along with an airport. Why are you bringing in an airport?,” asked Raj.

The MNS chief further pointed out that the airport built in Navi Mumbai would have all of Mumbai airport's cargo operations shifted there.

“That process has now begun. In the future, the domestic and international terminals of Mumbai airport will also be gradually shifted to Navi Mumbai. The current Mumbai airport is owned by the Adani Group. If you look at the area of the current airport, it could accommodate at least 50 Shivaji Parks…This means that their plan is to eventually shift the entire domestic and international airport to Navi Mumbai and sell off all the land of the current airport in the name of development,” Raj pointed out.

When Raut pointed out that prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah are from Gujarat, Raj said: “Given the fact, their focus is on Mumbai and the MMR region, this threat is the most significant. Nothing like this has ever happened in the last 50-60 years, but it's happening now.”

Speaking further, Uddhav pointed out: “Keep one thing in mind...who was Morarji Desai, who ordered the firing on the people of Maharashtra during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, was he a Hindu or not? When Maharashtra took to the streets, Morarji Desai told the police, "You have been given bullets to kill these people; don't let them go to waste." That incident resulted in 107 martyrs.”

Uddhav further said: “Yes, an account of the bullets fired was demanded. So, was Morarji Desai, who was born in Gujarat, a Hindu or not? And whether a man from Maharashtra is a Hindu or not is something (Maharashtra chief minister) Devendra Fadnavis should clarify. At a time when (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee was politically marginalizing Modi, the one who saved him was late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray, who was a true Marathi man and Hinduhrudaysamrat. Therefore, the BJP should first stop the confusion it has started creating between being a Hindu and being from Maharashtra.”