Cong-Sena and BJP trade barbs over IFSC HQ going to Gujarat

The Union government's decision to set up the headquarters of the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gandhinagar instead of Mumbai led to a verbal spat between ruling Congress and Shiv Sena and the opposition BJP in Maharashtra on Saturday.

While the two ruling alliance partners alleged that it was an attempt to lessen Mumbai's stature, the state BJP claimed that Congress-led governments did nothing to get IFSC in Mumbai when they ruled in Maharashtra earlier.

"The central government's decision to locate the IFSC to Gujarat is disappointing and is being done to reduce Mumbai's stature. The Centre should reconsider its decision," tweeted state Congress chief and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat.

Mumbai was the financial capital of the country, he said, questioning the "silence" of Maharashtra BJP leaders on the issue.

Shiv Sena leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai said it would be natural to have the IFSC in Mumbai, which is known globally for its "financial might".

"Mumbai has BSE,NSE, RBI, SEBI, headquarters of banks and financial companies,offices of top international companies and Mumbai is an International Financial Centre," he said.

Mumbai South MP and Sena leader Arvind Sawant claimed that he had appealed to the Centre against setting up the IFSC in Gujarat, but his plea was ignored.

School Education Minister and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad tweeted: "Mumbai is again robbed of its opportunity to become an IFSC destination due to special biased love of our Prime minister for Gujarat. PM is for the country or just for one state?"