Shinde Government's Industry Policy Criticized as 'Anti-Maharashtra' by Aaditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the Eknath Shinde-led government, labelling its industry policy as anti-Maharashtra. He claimed that since taking office in 2022, the government has avoided organising the investor summit that had been a tradition for several years. Thackeray expressed his concerns on X, targeting Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal for not promoting Maharashtra adequately at the Global Fintech Festival in Mumbai last month, unlike his efforts for GIFT City in Gujarat.

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Thackeray accused the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government of undermining Maharashtra's pride and spirit, which is known as an industrial and financial hub. He pointed out that the Magnetic Maharashtra investor summit has not been held since the current administration took over. "Interesting facets of the anti-Maharashtra BJP/Mindhe regime's industry policy in our state. They haven't held Magnetic Maharashtra investor summit since they formed their illegal regime," he remarked.

Investor Summit Cancellation

The opposition MLA highlighted that the state government cancelled the Magnetic Maharashtra event due to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, a biennial investor conclave in BJP-ruled Gujarat. He questioned why Maharashtra did not hold its summit when Tamil Nadu managed to organise one simultaneously and attracted significant investment. "That's not the issue. The issue is, why did we not have one? Tamil Nadu, too, organised one at the same time and pulled in good investment," he said.

Thackeray also mentioned that big industries are being pushed away from Maharashtra to Gujarat. He cited a recent raid on Mercedes Benz's Pune unit by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) as an example of actions creating major trouble in the industrial sector. He questioned why industries are being targeted due to personal egos within MPCB. "Why push away industries only because the ego of the MPCB chairman hasn't been fulfilled? Is there a precedent for the same?" he asked.

Concerns Over Industrial Policies

Thackeray raised concerns about how international and local companies would react to what he described as bullying tactics by a corrupt regime. He questioned whether such actions would be acceptable to businesses without a voice. "Will companies/industries of international and local origin be ok with such bullying tactics by the corrupt regime? What about those who don't have a voice?" he queried.

The MPCB is currently headed by Siddhesh Kadam, who is the son of Ramdas Kadam, a senior leader of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's ruling Shiv Sena faction. This connection has added another layer to Thackeray's allegations against the current administration's handling of industrial policies and practices.

Thackeray's statements reflect growing discontent with how Maharashtra's industrial policies are being managed under the current government. His remarks suggest a need for more balanced and fair treatment of industries to maintain Maharashtra's status as an industrial powerhouse.