BJP hatching plan to remove slums, relocate its residents to salt pan lands: Aaditya Thackeray

Aaditya Thackeray. File Pic

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hatching a plan to forcibly remove slums from Mumbai and relocate those living in them to salt pan lands, reported the PTI.

Addressing a news conference, Aaditya Thackeray latched on to the remarks of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP candidate from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat, as per the PTI.

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In an interaction with a media house, Piyush Goyal had said if elected, he intends to pursue a project that would entirely clear his constituency, which comprises northern suburbs like Malad, Kandivali and Borivali, of slums, according to the PTI.

Piyush Goyal had welcomed the idea of salt pan lands in Mumbai to be redistributed for slum rehabilitation, the PTI reported.

"This is a very dangerous scheme. Those who live in slums have their livelihood around that place. We will not allow them (BJP) to go ahead with their plan to relocate slums to saltpans," Aaditya Thackeray said, the news agency reported on Saturday.

"The BJP's policy is not to eradicate poverty, but poor people," alleged Aaditya Thackeray, who was a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime.

Aaditya Thackeray alleged that the BJP's ploy is to give all the salt pan lands to its "friends" and referred to the Dharavi redevelopment project under which there is a proposal to settle some of the residents on salt pan land in north-eastern Mumbai.

Aaditya Thackeray said it is people of Mumbai who will decide on relocation and not the Centre.

He said when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government sought salt pan land for the metro rail car shed project, the Centre denied permission.

However, the same saltpans are not now being used to rehabilitate slum dwellers, he added.

Aaditya Thackeray also accused the BJP-led Centre of demoralising Mumbai and taking away businesses from the metropolis to its "favourite states".

Aaditya Thackeray has been continuously raising the issue of various projects that have been shifted to Gujarat. Now, Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to highlight this issue during the election as a matter of Maharashtra pride.

(with PTI inputs)