There’s Still Time, Return Money to Rightful Owners, Says PM Modi
The Shivaji memorial project off the Mumbai coast has been facing opposition from fisherfolk and environmentalists.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a day's visit to Maharashtra on Saturday, where he lay the foundation stone for the grand memorial of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the metro rail projects in Mumbai and Pune.
- Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the newly-built campus of the National Institute of Securities Management in Raigad district, Maharashtra
- He laid the foundation stone for the mega memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, to be erected in the Arabian Sea
- The project has been facing stiff opposition from fisherfolk and environmentalists, who say that it would affect marine life and ecology
- The PM’s visit assumes political significance as the high-stakes elections to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation are just a few months away
- Speaking at the MMRDA grounds, he touched upon demonetisation and said honest people will agree to bear inconvenience even after 50 days
Watch: PM Modi’s Address in Pune
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Pune to lay the foundation stone for the Pune metro project. He spoke of the government’s focus on development.
Touching upon demonetisation for the third time in the day, Modi said he would not have had to take such tough measures if the government before him had done its job better.
He said he will not sleep until the black money issue is resolved. “There’s still time, come on the right path,” Modi warned.
Watch: PM Modi’s Address at Bandra Kurla Complex
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering at Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. He equated Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji with kings and gods from Hindu mythology.
The Shiv Sena in Mumbai, however, appeared unhappy with ally BJP, even as its chief Uddhav Thackeray accompanied the PM for a ‘jal pujan’ ceremony of the Shivaji memorial. The party alleged that the BJP has “hijacked” the occasion to take political benefit.
PM Modi alluded to demonetisation for the second time in the day and said the corrupt cannot win in this country.
He said after 50 days of demonetisation, the results will begin to show:
Why is Shivaji Still Shaping Politics in Mumbai?
What makes Shivaji, a medieval king, the biggest vote magnet in Maharashtra even today?
“Why can't the government spend money on conserving Shivaji's forts instead of building a new statue of him?” Many have asked this sensible question on social media.
Some have started an online campaign against the extravagant statue. Yet, the Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has decided to ignore all the detractors and go ahead with spending a whopping Rs 3,600 crore on reclaiming land in the Arabian Sea and erecting a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji on it.
Read the full story here.
PM Lays Foundation Stone for Two Metro Corridors
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for two metro corridors and other projects at the MMRDA Grounds.
PM Modi Performs ‘Jal Pujan’ for Shivaji Memorial
PM Modi Inaugurates New Campus NISM in Raigad
PM Modi inaugurates the new campus of National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) in Raigad.
Addressing people there, Modi said the constitutional amendments on GST that remained pending for years has been passed and the long-awaited GST will soon be a reality. He added that the government will continue with sound economic policies to ensure India's bright future in the long run.
PM Narendra Modi Arrives in Mumbai
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Mumbai. He is supposed to lay the foundation stone for the grand memorial of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at 3:30 pm.
The Shivaji Memorial
The main feature of the Shivaji memorial, slated to cost Rs 3,600 crore, will be a 192-metre-tall statue of the iconic Maratha king. The site is a rocky outcrop, roughly 1.5 km from the Raj Bhavan shore.
Later, Modi will address a public function at the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) ground in suburban Bandra, after the laying foundation stones for two Metro rail projects, Elevated Rail Corridors Project and Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, whose party is an ally of ruling BJP, is expected to share the dais with Modi at the MMRDA event.
The memorial project has been facing stiff opposition from fisherfolk and environmentalists, who have alleged that it would affect marine life and ecology of the Arabian Sea.
Petition Against the Statue
An online petition addressed to PM Narendra Modi against the Maharashtra government’s plan to build the memorial has garnered over 21,000 supporters till Friday evening.
The move is being viewed as Modi’s effort to woo members of the Maratha community shortly after they rose in agitation, demanding reservation under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
The protests began after a minor girl was gangraped, mutilated and murdered at Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district in July. The matter was soon politicised and the protests turned into a demand for reservation.
PM Modi’s Attempt at Wooing Votes
For the MMRDA event, the government has sent out invitation to over 3,000 VVIPs and dignitaries, including members of the royal family and Shivaji historians.
Ever since it came to power in Maharashtra in October 2014, BJP has been quietly trying to usurp the near-monopoly that bickering ally Shiv Sena has held over the 17th century Maratha king for the last many years.
Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election in 2014, BJP had used the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji for electoral gains, with a famous tagline seeking to evoke Shivaji's blessings.
The government and BJP are trying to make the memorial event a success with hoardings at important places of all districts and also through campaigns in print, TV and social media.
(With inputs from PTI)
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