Devendra Fadnavis at Express Adda: ‘If the Opposition fights us, we will welcome it. But where are they?'

Today, I am a more confident CM because I have already delivered. In 2014, when I started, (I was) delivering but I was not confident. Today, I know what my shortcomings were between 2014-19, so I'm a more confident person.
I'd say that vote is a by-product if you are a good administrator and if you do the right things then there is a 90 per cent chance that you will be voted back. Earlier, I was more focused on transformation in infrastructure, in tangible things, but my focus for the past six months has been more on building institutions. So I first did a 100-day programme. It was a challenge for all the departments and offices. They had to work on certain issues and in 100 days, they completed it and so I threw a 150-day challenge. In these 150 days, we will be totally transforming the administration. Everything will be digital, on a single platform and automated. Secondly, my focus is more on e-governance. In my last 10 years, we brought lots of government services online, but now I want end-to-end digital governance. So if anybody wants anything from the government, they need not visit an office. We are also putting it on WhatsApp. We now have an MoU with Meta, which is also providing a payment gateway. Ultimately, we know that technology is something which increases efficiency, brings transparency. It's also a leveller.
There's always been corruption. It's always been an issue and we have to fight it. I feel this issue can only be tackled by using technology.
For me, it has always been an urgent issue. If there is no transparency, your goverment cannot become efficient.
Both are responsible. When we designed systems, we considered how much it has rained in the last 20 years, what is our average rain. And now you see there are more rain occurrences, and also look at its severity, due to climate change… The problem is that even before the monsoon started it had already rained and the infrastructure was not designed for it. It is due to the problems of infrastructure, design and also climate change. But corruption cannot be denied either. Things are changing but we still have some work to do in Mumbai.
This is the reality of politics. In politics, you cannot move ahead by turning away from these things. After getting a full majority in 2019 and after it was announced that I will be the Chief Minister, hurdles were posed in my way. Even after the announcement, Uddhavji betrayed us, the Shiv Sena betrayed us. In politics, you have to find a way to survive. So we found a way. There was a right path but our companions strayed from that path. So we took along those we could and moved forward. That's why I've always held on to my politics. I have followed this principle and have always upheld it. But when you work in politics, sometimes you have to compromise. But if I am the Chief Minister, then I won't allow anyone in my Cabinet to do wrong. I can guarantee you that this government will work to stop corruption.
It was always like this. Look at it as this sort of a cycle. See the politics of Maharashtra in 1978. Sharad Pawar formed a government just like this. Then if you look at 1992, Sharad Pawarji's government did not have a majority and they broke the Shiv Sena and formed that government. At that time, Chhagan Bhujbalji went with him and by breaking the Shiv Sena he formed his own government. I think political opportunism is not new. It has always been happening. I think the political value has seen a devaluation. We have to accept this and we have to think about it.
If there are issues based on facts, we should discuss them. If we bury them under the carpet, one day they will be exposed and then there will be an explosion. Earlier I, too, believed that all this talk about love jihad is an exaggeration. Then I got an unofficial study done on it. I have no objection to inter-caste or inter-religion marriage but when these marriages take place under false identities, when thousands of incidents started to appear, I realised there was a design behind it. This is not an issue of vote for me. I say this not to corner anyone or any particular religion or caste, this design is specifically weakening the country in many ways. Look at the way in which minorities in our country are being radicalised. You will say that you are talking about radicalisation, so you are polarising but I can only say that this is a fact and we will have to accept it. Love jihad is actually happening on the ground and we have to stop it.
If the Opposition fights us, we will welcome it. But where is the Opposition? If you look at the Lok Sabha elections, then who fought against us? The front called Bharat Jodo was set up by Rahul Gandhi. There were 180 organisations in it and among them were organisations which during Manmohan Singh's government were counted among Left-wing extremist organisations or what are now commonly called 'Urban Maoists'. That is why I call them anarchists. Now I come to the second point. Along with love jihad, there is also vote jihad. If you see the voting pattern in Maharashtra, see where the minorities are (and see) the kind of polarised voting that has taken place. That was vote jihad. Who did that? Anarchist forces did it. We are used to fighting against parties, it could be the Congress, the NCP or anyone else but we are not used to fighting these (other) forces. Anarchist forces go to the grassroot level. In the Lok Sabha elections, they were confusing people. I had to tell the nationalist forces to give a befitting answer to them. People chose the nationalist forces and gave us a huge majority.
The RSS is definitely a nationalist force but there are other nationalist forces. We got them all to come together.
Vandita Mishra: In Pune, a 19-year-old is arrested and the college rusticates her because of an online post. The Bombay High Court has severely reprimanded your police and said that it shouldn't have happened at all and that it is playing with the young woman's life and career. How do you look at this?
Often when the police take some action the court feels that some of the actions are too much, it reprimands. And because of this we improve. We'll get better! But when Operation Sindoor is going on, the girl writes against our Army or if one person writes in favour of Pakistan then emotions run high against such posts. The police have to take action. Now the action, is it less or more? The court decides this. If the court feels it is too much then we will accept it. It will help us improve next time.
Anant Goenka: Did your loyalty to your alliance force you to compromise your love for free speech in this whole comedian situation (Kunal Kamra) where there was an attack? Do you feel you had to show your friendship to your alliance more than you wanted to?
To ignore such people politically is much better. You by your actions increase their stature to a large extent. So politically, it is better to ignore them but many times what happens is that Shiv Sena and our own party are a little emotional. We are not practical politicians. So sometimes that emotion makes us react a little. They are getting more attention because of the reaction.
Anant Goenka: We've seen a complete transformation in Mumbai — the coastal road and the Metro to name a few. I will name an infrastructure project and you give us some sense of an update.
It will change mobility in Mumbai entirely. The best thing is that we already have created UMTA (Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority). So, for the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region there will be one authority. All the transportation systems of Mumbai will be accessible on one card. We have already rolled out this single card; in six months it will be rolled out in the MMR region. Our plan is that within 200 metres and 300 metres, everybody should get at least one mode of public transport.
It is almost complete and by August we will be able to open it. In the next three to four months we will complete the coastal road which joins Atal Setu to the new Mumbai airport. We are also constructing an elevated road from Thane to Navi Mumbai airport and a Metro from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport to Navi Mumbai Airport. That metro will take at least five years.
We have already rolled out NAINA —its first IDP (Interim Development Plan) was cleared when I was CM in the last regime. Now the second IDP is almost there. In this new city — NAINA — certain thematic cities are coming up. We have built an edu city where we'd like to host at least 12 foreign universities. We are also creating a medicity, a sports city, a knowledge city.
We will start our own water taxis. There is a single ticket. On the same ticket, you can travel in the metro, the monorail and the bus.
The upgrade has happened quickly… We have developed amenities on a very large scale. We've introduced AC trains but people feel that the fare is too high. We have told Ashwiniji (Vaishnaw) to make all the trains air-conditioned and keep the same fare. He is thinking about it and perhaps will agree.
We should start it this year. Land acquisition needs to be done to build and that cost is Rs 22,000 crore… a bank is going to give us the money. Later we will acquire the land and start work on this.
Dharavi, looking at rehabilitation Building new cities is easy. What is difficult is urban rejuvenation. Dharavi is one of the world's major urban rejuvenation projects. Around eight lakh people live here and 50 per cent of them were ineligible for this. But if we send four lakh people away calling them ineligible then we will only be preparing new slums. So this is the first project in which everybody who was ineligible is eligible. We are providing them rental housing of the same quality. After paying the rent they will become its owner. Mumbai's business district is BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex) but this will be a new business district. There are 19,000 businesses in Dharavi and we decided that we will make them settle here. Dharavi is an urban transformation. Here, the poor will not be separated from the rich. It's a mixed design.
This underground metro was operational on 16 out of17 stations. The 17th station was half inaugurated. If we didn't inaugurate the station, we could not complete this stretch. It was an accident and we were not prepared for it. The rain came early and was heavy. They had only made a bund which couldn't stop the rain. The work will be completed in August. And these kind of issues will never happen again.
A 100 per cent.
There is no question about it.
You are right, but I don't think this will remain so for long because there is a growing awareness. For the new generation, environment is a concern. It may not be an election issue now but it will gradually become one.
There are 10 things Delhi should learn from Mumbai. I don't see a single thing Mumbai can learn from Delhi.
Of course, Nagpur.
Mumbai.
If we compare ourselves to any global city, Mumbai has the least number of buses. We've ordered 10,000 buses but the supply is slow. But things are looking up now.
Oh my God. He/she can come from anywhere.
It depends. There are times when bureaucrats have more technical knowledge, so their advice is right. But there are times when ministers know the ground reality so their perspective is also correct. So, you have to balance.
Frankly, they are not communicative.
Eknathji loves to manage and enter into any such situation.
Ajitji and Eknathji: Who is better at local body elections?
The BJP
They don't do the tenderising processes. But on the infrastructure, all of us are together. We require a lot of infra and we need to create it at a great speed.
None. Because I know my party's high command. They don't know.
If it's a fast car, then I will take Savarkarji. If it is a normal, slow vehicle, then I'll take Gandhiji.
Radha Goenka
Director, RPG Foundation
In Mumbai, we have the Mithi River and Mangroves. they are not protected enough. You mentioned trees on the coastal road — is it an opportunity? Because even if we have about 80 per cent native trees, it could really change the environment.
I agree with you. On the Coastal Road, there have to be native trees because they will create a great ecosystem. If we can rejuvenate Mithi, that will change the entire environment. We have been saying this for 25 years, but now we have started the real action. The biggest advantage Mumbai has is the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Such a forest is hardly expected in a city, but it is there in Mumbai. We need to conserve all these things. They will have to be rejuvenated and we will do that.
Pratik Agarwal
Chairman, Serentica Renewables
Maharashtra has a huge potential for wind power. A lot of developers have been facing issues in the east of Maharashtra; in places like Solapur and Beed. Your office has helped in the last month to solve this. But we hope that more can be done.
Renewable energy has been an important issue on which our government is working. By 2030, 52 per cent of the energy will come from renewable sources. You are right about Maharashtra, where wind and solar (energy) companies have been facing problems, especially due to the local mafia, but now we have tightened all of the things and I've told the police to apply the strictest sections and punish anyone creating problems. The problem is largely resolved, but if there are any issues, do tell us and we will help you.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Hindustan Times

28 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

‘You are already finished': Shinde rebukes Thackeray

MUMBAI: The 59th foundation day of the Shiv Sena on Thursday was marked by bitter accusations, taunts and a virtual declaration of war ahead of local body elections in the state. Quoting from Nana Patekar-starrer Prahaar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray challenged his bête noir Eknath Shinde, saying, 'Come on, kill me!' Uddhav launched his attack at Shanmukhananda Hall, where the Sena (UBT) was celebrating the party's foundation day. Shinde, whose faction of the Sena was celebrating the occasion at the NSCI Dome in Worli, countered Uddhav, declaring that he did not want to kill someone who was 'already finished'. Shinde's speech was largely devoted to slamming Uddhav and emphasising that his faction was the 'original Sena', which was carrying forward the legacy of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray. He said the strike rate of his party was very high. 'In 2014, the (undivided) Shiv Sena contested 282 seats and won 63 seats. In 2019, the (undivided) Shiv Sena contested 124 seats and won 56 seats, and this time (2024), they (Sena-UBT) contested 85 seats and won 20. Of this, many were won with slender margins. Many seats were won due to Congress votes as real Shiv Sena voters had bid goodbye to them. We have confidence, and they (Sena-UBT) have arrogance, which will bring them to another defeat,'' said Shinde. 'They consider BMC as golden goose. Mumbai and its importance is not under threat, but their politics and finances will come under threat as their soul is in the BMC treasury, while our soul is Hindutva. There will be no compromise on it,'' said Shinde. 'Is Hindutva a T-shirt you can wear or remove any time,' he asked, referring to Thackeray's statement that he has not quit Hindutva. Virtually kickstarting the Sena's campaign for the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other local bodies in the state, Shinde told party workers that the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition would contest the polls as an alliance but details would be revealed later. However, he did not comment on speculation over the reunion of the estranged Thackeray cousins – Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Challenging Shinde, Uddhav said at Shanmukhananda Hall, 'Come on, kill me,' a line from the Hindi film Prahaar. He added that if they wanted to attack, they must come with an ambulance as they would 'come walking and go back injured'. Shinde countered him, saying mere talk is not enough. 'You need a tiger's heart and strength in your wrist. How can we kill someone who is already dead? People of the state have already finished them in the assembly polls.' On the undivided Sena's legacy, Shinde declared, ''We have the Shiv Sena bow and arrow symbol, and the people's support. We have protected Balasaheb's ideology. 'Balasaheb's ideology is our wealth.' The Sena chief also taunted Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, whose friend, actor Dino Morea, is being interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). 'When Dino opens up, let's see how many people sink.' The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar, an ally in the Mahayuti coalition, had faced major embarrassment due to the suicide of Vaishali Hagawane, daughter-in-law of NCP leader Rajendra Hagawane. It put Pawar in a particularly awkward position as there were pictures of him handing over the keys to an SUV, part of Vaishnavi's dowry, to her husband Shashank Hagawane. In a damage-control exercise, the Shiv Sena launched a campaign for daughters-in-law. 'Our shakhas will attend to issues faced by daughters-in-law, who face issues at home. We must treat our daughters-in-law like our daughters,'' said Shinde. Shinde said more than 50 corporators from the Sena UBT, from the 2017-22 term, had joined the Sena. 'We are growing,' he declared. In a timely move, three local Sena-UBT leaders joined Shinde's party – Ajit Bhandari (Sena-UBT vibhag pramukh and former corporator), Sanjay Jangam (shakha pramukh) and Vijendra Shinde (former corporator). Nadia Sheikh (former corporator from the NCP-SP) also joined the Sena on Thursday.

Hindustan Times

42 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

‘Scared BJP-Shinde desperately trying to prevent alliance with MNS': Thackeray

MUMBAI: Emphasising the need to protect the interests of Mumbai, Marathi and Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray, addressing the speculation around his party's alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, said that he would do 'whatever the people of Maharashtra want'. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief was speaking at the 59th anniversary function of the Shiv Sena, and his aggressive speech sounded the bugle for the upcoming BMC polls. Thackeray declared that the BJP and Shinde were desperately trying to prevent his alliance with his estranged cousin's party in order to prevent the Sena (UBT) from returning to power in Mumbai. They do not want the Marathi manoos to unite and are organising meetings for this,' he said. The efforts, he added, also stemmed from the BJP-Shinde Sena's obeisance towards Gautam Adani. Lambasting the stamp duty waiver to Adani's Dharavi Redevelopment Project, he said, 'They are fearful about what will happen to Adani if we come back to power. As Adani is their master, in order to serve his interests, these servants are disturbing the process of unity of the Marathi manoos.' Moving on to film-inspired histrionics, Thackeray cited a 1990 film, Prahar, in which Nana Patekar, a long-time Sena votary, had played an army man. 'The BJP and Shinde want to finish the Thackeray brand and our Shiv Sena,' he said. 'In Prahar, Nana Patekar challenges the goons to kill him. I am similarly daring the BJP and Shinde: 'I am standing here, come on, kill me.' But remember, when you come to kill me, I will send you back on a stretcher in an ambulance. We will win Mumbai and our saffron flag will dominate the BMC again.' Thackeray also urged his party workers to be alert to the BJP's plan 'to divide the people in the name of religion, caste and now language on the eve of the polls'. 'I have no problem with Hindi but I will not allow compulsory Hindi in primary education,' he said. 'They created conflict among Hindus over caste and now they are using language,' he said. 'People from North India living in Mumbai were associated with the Shiv Sena after the riots in 1992. With this Marathi-Hindi conflict, they want to create a divide between North Indians and our party. So be aware of this politics of divide and rule.' The Sena (UBT) chief said that such conflicts also had another purpose: to divert the attention of people away from the BMC's scams and the state government's corruption. To underline this, he gave the example of the concrete road scam and the Supreme Court's directive to cancel MMRDA's hugely inflated road works tender. Amid the controversy over his party's expelled leader Sudhakar Badgujar joining the BJP, Thackeray said the BJP was engineering defections from other parties by using power, and added that it betrayed its inability to develop new leadership in its own party. 'I pity the original BJP workers, as outsider leaders are enjoying positions of power and ruling them,' he quipped. Thackeray also criticised PM Narendra Modi by pointing out that not a single country stood in support of India against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attacks. 'Even PM Modi's friend Donald Trump invited the army chief of Pakistan,' he said. 'We supported the government in the war situation. But now I feel that India needs a prime minister who will look after the nation, since Modi only looks after the BJP. We also need another union home minister, as all Amit Shah is busy with is breaking other parties.'

Mint

3 hours ago

• Mint

Maharashtra News: Uddhav's ‘Prahaar' jibe vs Shinde's Hindutva retort mark Shiv Sena Foundation Day

Maharashtra News: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on June 19 accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to scuttle the possibility of his party's alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray. In response, Maharashtra's Deputy CM Eknath Shinde slammed him for 'abandoning' Hindutva. Using a dialogue from the 1991 Nana Patekar-starrer Hindi movie Prahaar, Uddhav also challenged the 'gaddars' (traitors), the term he often uses for the Shinde-led group that 'ditched' him three years ago and joined the BJP-led government in the state. Both Thackeray and Shinde addressed rallies of their parties in Mumbai to celebrate the 59th foundation day of Shiv Sena, founded by Uddhav's father Bal Thackeray in 1966. While the Shinde-led Shiv Sena held its event at the NSCI Dome in Worli, the Sena (UBT) rally was at Shanmukhand Hall in the Sion area. In order to scuttle the possibility of an alliance of "Marathi parties", meetings are being held in hotels and elsewhere, Uddhav Thackeray said, apparently referring to Raj Thackeray's recent meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at a five-star hotel in the city. "What people want will happen. We will see how it is to be done. The BJP and Shinde Sena do not want Marathi parties to unite. If you try to finish the Thackeray brand, we will finish off the BJP,' the former Chief Minister said. Recalling the famous dialogue from Prahaar, Thackeray said, 'Like Nana Patekar in the film, I am standing before these traitors and telling them, Come on, kill me.' In Prahaar, Patekar's character, Major Chavhan, confronts goons harassing a woman, and shouts, "Come on, kill me!" as he fights them off. 'But if you dare attack me, come along with an ambulance like in the film starring Amitabh Bachchan, because you will meet the same fate,' Thackeray said, without naming the movie Trishul, where Amitabh confronts the bad guys with an accompanying ambulance. At the Worli rally, Shinde countered, saying, 'Mere talk is not enough. You need strength in your wrists.' Uddhav said the imposition of Hindi in the state will not be allowed at any cost. 'The BJP wants to create a divide among Marathi and Hindi-speakers on the eve of civic polls,' he said, exuding confidence that his party will retain the Mumbai civic body. He said the BJP has no legacy of its own and had to install a massive statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who banned the RSS when he was the country's home minister. Referring to the BJP-led Mahayuti's manifesto, speaking of giving ₹ 2,100 per month to women under the Laadki Bahin scheme and loan waiver to farmers, he said the BJP did not fulfil these promises after the assembly elections. 'They (BJP) promised me that the Shiv Sena would have the chief minister's post for two and a half years, but didn't keep the promise," said Uddhav Thackeray, who parted ways with the BJP over the CM post after the 2019 assembly elections. When the opposition contested the Lok Sabha polls by forming the INDIA group, PM Narendra Modi compared the opposition bloc to the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, Thackeray claimed, adding that after Operation Sindoor, Modi sent MPs of the same opposition bloc all over the world to present India's stand. The BJP maligns opposition leaders with corruption charges, and then inducts them into the party, Thackeray said. Responding to Thackeray's accusations, Shinde claimed he was desperate for power and was therefore seeking an alliance with the MNS. Shinde said his party functioned as per Bal Thackeray's ideology. Shiv Sena (UBT) did not get even one-third of the votes polled by his Shiv Sena in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly polls, Shinde said. 'Whatever votes they got was because of the Congress as the real Shiv Sena voters have bid them goodbye,'' he said. 'Balasaheb Thackeray opposed Congress, but those desperate for power aligned with that party as they are desperate for power. UBT has betrayed the Marathi people, Shiv Sena voters and have abandoned Hindutva,' he said. Shinde said he has never seen a betrayer like Uddhav Thackeray 'who changes colours like a chameleon'. He said he will never compromise on Hindutva for power. 'Why do you hesitate to call Balasaheb as Hindu Hriday Samrat? You join hands with those who abuse Modi and (Amit) Shah who fulfilled Balasaheb's dream of Ram temple and abolishing Article 370. Why do you sit with those who abuse Savarkar and Hindu religion,' Shinde said. 'Are you Indian or are you a Pakistani agent? Pakistan uses your statements against India,' Shinde said, naming Uddhav Thackeray. Like Nana Patekar in the film, I am standing before these traitors and telling them, Come on, kill me. Shinde also mocked Shiv Sena (UBT) for celebrating the party's foundation day, claiming that the Thackeray-led group came into existence only three years ago. How can a group formed on October 10, 2022, celebrate the Shiv Sena's 59th foundation day, he added.