‘Intellect missing from Oppn brains’: Maha CM on missing link landslide row

Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) A fierce political war of words has erupted between the ruling government and the opposition following recent heavy rains and subsequent accidents in Mumbai.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a Facebook post on Monday, strongly responded to the opposition's criticism of a landslide near the 'Missing Link' project.

CM Fadnavis slammed the opposition for starting a political row over the incident near the tunnel entrance of the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project without gathering any technical information.

Terming it an attempt to peddle rumours, the Chief Minister stated that practising politics based on rumours rather than facts of infrastructure projects is unacceptable. Taking a sharp dig, he remarked that "intellect seems to be 'missing' from the brains of the opposition."

Following torrential rains across Maharashtra and Mumbai, the political slugfest has intensified. Initially, the opposition targeted the municipal administration over accidental deaths in Mumbai. Now, as they turned their guns towards the 'Missing Link' incident, CM Fadnavis issued a stern rebuttal.

He said that following a natural landslide incident, some Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders rushed to level allegations of corruption without seeking any technical information. He added that it is unfortunate that an attempt was made to play rumour-mongering politics over Maharashtra's vital infrastructure project, completely disregarding the facts.

The Chief Minister clarified that the tunnel has not collapsed, no water has entered the tunnel, and the main structure of the project has sustained absolutely no damage.

He noted that the landslide occurred on the outer slope of the mountain, outside the tunnel, and that this is an entirely natural geological phenomenon.

He added that such natural occurrences happen even in the world's most modern road and tunnel projects and do not imply poor construction quality or corruption.

He further stated that some MVA leaders are so accustomed to corruption that they see their own past reflected in every natural event, and that their political agenda has become spreading fake news and creating fear among the public rather than verifying the facts.

He said that those who kept Maharashtra back from development for years are today questioning every development project, and that they must first answer to Maharashtra for why they created hurdles to the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project in 2013.

He added that had this project been completed on time, the state would have reaped its benefits years ago.

CM Fadnavis observed that the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link is not just a road but the pride of Maharashtra's engineering capability and modern infrastructure, and is considered one of the most challenging engineering projects in Asia.

He said this project is being built using cutting-edge technology, world-class safety standards, and rigorous quality checks. Yet, some opposition leaders understand politics better than engineering, and cannot even differentiate between a landslide and a tunnel structure.

He added that crying corruption without understanding the fundamental difference between a natural landslide and a construction defect is a sheer display of ignorance.

He remarked that if a landslide meant corruption, then every landslide in the Himalayas would have to be termed as corruption.

He said that misleading the people of Maharashtra by conflating natural events with engineering quality is pure political opportunism, and that legal action should be taken against leaders who create confusion among citizens by spreading false information.

He noted that compromising trust in development projects is an assault on Maharashtra's progress itself.

The Chief Minister said that what is needed today is responsible politics, not looking for political opportunities in every natural calamity.

He added that the people of Maharashtra can now distinguish between facts and rumours, that the tunnel and the project are safe, and that Maharashtra's development will move forward with the same resolve.

He observed that a few petty leaders are attempting to criticise the leadership for cheap publicity, but targeting individuals cannot halt development, and Maharashtra has repeatedly witnessed how decisive leadership functions even amidst crises.

He concluded by saying that the landslide occurred on the mountain, but the conscience, technical understanding, and sense of responsibility of some opposition leaders seem to have completely collapsed, and that Maharashtra wants the politics of development, not rumours.

--IANS

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