Nagpur: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday castigated the opposition, declaring that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, during his tenure as chief minister, made no efforts to relocate factories from Dombivli MIDC, where an explosion at a chemical plant resulted in the deaths of nine individuals. Addressing the press at Nagpur airport, Fadnavis assured that the Mahayuti government is committed to identifying alternative locations for these factories.
Earlier in the day, state Congress president Nana Patole criticized the state administration over the blast, asserting that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had mandated the closure of the chemical plant, which was subsequently reopened under the current regime. A boiler exploded at Amudan Chemicals in Phase 2 of Dombivli MIDC on Thursday afternoon, leading to nine fatalities and injuring 64 others, including women working nearby.
“Relocating an industry is not an overnight task, and discussions to move these factories have been ongoing for years. Nevertheless, Uddhav Thackeray did nothing in this matter,” stated the deputy chief minister. He emphasized the necessity of taking serious cognizance of this incident and providing alternative sites for the factories, with the state government actively working towards this goal.
Patole accused the MVA government of issuing orders to close the factory in Dombivli, only for it to be allowed to resume operations when the Mahayuti government assumed power. He alleged that the state administration’s corruption was responsible for the tragic loss of innocent lives.
The Congress leader further alleged that Fadnavis and the “khokhe” government have sullied Maharashtra’s reputation, predicting a decisive response in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election results on June 4. When questioned about the MVA’s protests concerning the Pune car accident, where a 17-year-old allegedly ran over two software engineers, Fadnavis accused the opposition of politicizing the tragedy.
The deputy chief minister explained that the police acted with transparency, appealing the Juvenile Justice Board’s decision to grant the teenager bail while requiring him to write a 300-word essay. He noted that, for the first time, a juvenile’s father was arrested, signifying that strict action had been taken.
