New Delhi. The Congress on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked him questions regarding Mumbai and wanted to know why the big projects coming up in the metropolis went to Gujarat and why the BJP is ‘helping Adani to grab the land of Dharavi’. Before Modi’s election program in Mumbai, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh asked five questions and said that the public wants answers to these from the Prime Minister. Ramesh asked whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is afraid of defeat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
He said on the social media platform ‘X’, “The continuous delay by the Mahayuti government in conducting BMC elections is an attack on democracy and the rights of the citizens of Mumbai. The government says that the delay is due to OBC reservation and ward delimitation etc., but the reality is that the BJP is afraid of facing the voters. He fears that defeat before the elections will tarnish his image.”
“Without any elected administrator, the ruling coalition in BMC is using the money and resources of this body to benefit its MLAs and supporters,” Ramesh alleged. “Former corporators from across parties have also highlighted issues like lack of coordination, delay in development works and lack of accountability due to absence of local representatives.” He said that without elected representatives, Mumbai citizens are struggling to have their say in the BMC and get their complaints resolved. He said, “Why did BJP betray the people of Mumbai? How much longer will we have to wait for the voice of the people to be heard?”
Ramesh asked, “Why is BJP helping Adani in grabbing the land of Dharavi?” He said, “The Dharavi Redevelopment Project has become a land grab scheme for his best friend, Adani, with the support of the non-biological Prime Minister. The latest tender issued by the Mahayuti government in September 2022 was reportedly designed specifically for the Adani Group.” He alleged that the Slum Rehabilitation Authority’s share was reduced to 20 per cent, the ability of residents to negotiate at the planning stage was removed and the process of public debate and participation that emerged from the beginning of the process was completely eliminated.
He said, “For the Adani Group, this lucrative reverie has come at the cost not only of the residents of Dharavi but of millions of Mumbaikars. Does the non-biological Prime Minister have any argument in defense of this massive loot, which he can present before the people publicly?” Ramesh also asked why big projects moved from Mumbai to Gujarat? He claimed that during the BJP rule, many big projects which were best suited for Mumbai’s economy have been shifted to Gujarat. He said that Mumbai has been the financial capital of India for almost 200 years, despite this, the International Financial Services Center (IFSC) has been set up in the GIFT City of Gujarat.
Ramesh said that in 2006, Dr. Manmohan Singh had started efforts to set up IFSC in Mumbai and land was also set aside for the project in BKC but later it was repurposed for the bullet train. Has been allocated. He said that the Prime Minister’s repeated refusal to set up IFSC in Mumbai could lead to the loss of up to 2 lakh jobs in the city. He claimed that Mumbai’s diamond industry has also faced similar challenges. Ramesh said what vision does BJP have to deal with Mumbai’s air pollution?
He said, “The situation of air pollution in Mumbai has gone from bad to worse. At times, pollution levels even exceed that of Delhi, which has long been infamous for its high levels of pollution. The dangerous state of pollution has raised alarm bells for most of the residents, but the Maharashtra government has failed to take any effective steps to deal with it.” Ramesh also asked the Prime Minister why Mumbai’s local trains are becoming more congested and unsafe? Earlier, before Prime Minister Modi’s rallies in Maharashtra, Ramesh asked him three questions, including what plan he has to end the water crisis in Marathwada. The Congress leader questioned why Mahayuti and the central government are bent on weakening the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.