I do not know where the govt of Maharashtra is heading to, every few days there is news about their confrontation with Central Govt, Journalists and filing charge sheet against any one who speaks against any of their leaders. Some of the latest ones
1 Since the time Maharashtra CM Udhav Thackerey announced that State Govt is shifting Metro 3 Car shed to Kanjur Marg, there was under current tension prevailing in the political circles. Now it has emerged that Centre had claimed the Kanjurmarg site belonged to them as it was part of the city’s salt pan lands, over whose ownership the Centre and State have been locked in legal battle since the early 1980s.
Salt Commissionerate, who comes under Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), whose head is Piyush Goel. Now DPIIT, had filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court (HC) against the Maharashtra govt transferring the salt pan land. But No body in the state govt including Udhav led Law & Judiciary Dept and suburban Collectorate’s office had a clue about this petition. It was big failure on the part of state govt, a petition is filed at the Bombay HC against such a major decision of the state govt, and nobody in govt comes to know about it. It is believed that what threw state govt off the scene, was possibly the fact that the petition was challenged two decision of the previous govt led by the BJP. It has challenged an order passed by Chandrakant Patil who was the revenue minister in previous govt, marking all salt pans that are not cultivated as the state govt’s property. The DPIIT has also written a letter to Chief Secretary of Maharashtra state to stop work at Metro car shed site. The MMRDA officials however said yesterday that they would continue the work on the car shed, as land for car shed has been allotted to MMRDA by Collectorate.
The Centre in their petition to HC has written that The lands mentioned in State Revenue Minister’s order erroneously included those in Nahur, Malwani, Mandale, Mulund, Pahadi Mithagar, Trombay and Kanjur Marg. These lands including Kanjurmarg land are owned by Centre. The Centre also wants the HC to restrain the State from creating any third party rights or transferring the lands which it has been declared to be holders of.
Now the state govt claims that this action of Central govt is ‘Insult to State’, and say that the centre is snatching state’s rights. Now I want to ask Shiv Sena a question ‘ When Supreme Court had declared that the area which was allotted for Metro 3 car shed in Aarey is not coming under forest land, and they allowed the construction of car shed in that land. Then after coming to power why Shiv Sena issued the order to stop the work on car shed, then was not your action an insult to Supreme Court, and your people now say it is insult to state.
Now who is suffering in this one upmanship game- definitely it is common men of Mumbai, who is waiting to see this Metro line to be completed for last one decade, and in this game there is going to be more delay, more cost escalation at the cost of taxpayers’ money. If this had not happened, the car shed at Metro would have been ready 6 months back and Metro 3 would have been operational in 2021 Now if this matter gets caught up in court cases and litigation, the project might get delay for long time, and we do not know when Metro 3 will see the day light. The right thing would be that the Centre and State should work together to resolve their differences at the earliest so that project can be completed without any further delay.
2 The Maharashtra govt, and specially Shiv Sena is after Arnab Goswami, the Editor in Chief of Republic news channel since last few months, after he started questioning Maharashtra govt led by Udhav Thackerey in Palghar lynching case. Then they had tried to corner him in TRP scam and finally today morning they have arrested him in about 2 year old case. Arnab was arrested by Alibaug Police from his home, for allegedly abetting the suicide of a 53 year old interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother in 2018.
On receiving his arrest news, The Editor Guuild of India has send out a statement condemning the arrest of Arnab Goswami. ‘The Guild calls upon Maharashtra CM to ensure that Arnab is treated fairly and state power is not used against critical reporting by media.’ There have been widespread criticism against the arrest, and the reaction is same and that is “ This is vendetta politics being played by MVA govt, and the arrest of a reputed journalist clearly reminds the days of emergency”.
3 In an another case, A Nagpur court 2 days back granted bail to a man held for a tirade on social media against CM Udhav Thackerey and his son Aditya. But moments after securing bail, he was again taken to custody by Mumbai police from the court premises. As there are 2 FIRs filed against the person for same offence.
Now all these type of cases, will lead the Maharashtra Govt where? Now if you see how much venom is spread against Modi on the social media, but the Central govt is not going after each and every person who writes against Modi. If this type of thing happens that our various courts all over the country will be busy in handling such cases only.
What you say my friends!!!
Awaiting your commentsfeedbacks/views.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
4th November 2020.