BJP and Sena fooling people over Nanar project: Congress

Joining the Nanar refinery issue, Maharashtra Congress unit president Ashok Chavan today said the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena are trying to "fool" people by speaking in divergent voices over the execution of the project.

Chavan said the recent spat between Industries Minister Subhash Desai of Shiv Sena and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the project was nothing but a "grand tamasha" which is a "laughable spectacle".

The Sena has been staunchly opposing the project, saying it is being imposed on the local people by the government against their wishes.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is of the view that the project would severely damage the ecology of the region.

In an apparent bid to win over the people from the Konkan region, the stronghold of the party, Desai yesterday announced that the notification for acquiring land for the refinery project stood cancelled. Hours later, the chief minister, however, contradicted Desai, saying the order has not been cancelled.

"Both the BJP and the Shiv Sena are fooling people of Maharashtra by making contradictory statements on the Nanar project," Chavan said addressing a press conference here.

Referring to Fadnavis' statement in which he had said that Desai had no right to withdraw the notification, Chavan said, "the chief minister has publicly insulted the industries minister. Is a high-powered committee superior to the Cabinet minister who is the chairman of MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation)?"