Congress accuses Maha govt of conspiring to compromise the state's interests

The Congress on Monday claimed that the Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft facility inaugurated in Vadodara was earlier supposed to be set up in Nagpur and alleged that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's instructions, the Centre and the Mahayuti dispensation have conspired to ensure the "wholesale surrender" of Maharashtra's interests.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the people of Maharashtra will give a befitting reply to the PM and his colleagues for their betrayal of the state.

The opposition party's attack came after Prime Minister Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited (TASL)-Airbus facility to manufacture C-295 military aircraft in India. The Tata-Airbus facility is the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India.

"Today, the non-biological PM is in Vadodara to launch the Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft facility. This exact same project was supposed to be set up in Nagpur, but was shifted to Gujarat in 2022 on the eve of the assembly elections there," Ramesh said in his post on X.

One can only imagine the machinations that went on behind the scenes to ensure that Maharashtra lost out on this key investment, he said.

"This is not an exception. Under the non-biological PM’s leadership and instruction, the Union government and the Mahayuti government have conspired to ensure the wholesale surrender of Maharashtra’s interests in landing new projects or seeking Central support," Ramesh said.

Listing past instances, the Congress leader said an International Financial Services Center (IFSC) has been set up only in GIFT City in Gujarat.

"Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006 had begun the effort to set it up in Mumbai. Land in Bandra Kurla Complex had already been set aside for the IFSC. But that was sabotaged costing Mumbai potentially 2 lakh jobs," he alleged.

"Mumbai and Surat have worked together to develop India’s diamond industry for decades, with Surat handling cutting and polishing, and Mumbai handling trading and export. However, a new Bharat Diamond Bourse was built in Surat. It is another matter that this move has failed entirely, with many diamond merchants moving their operations back to Mumbai," Ramesh said.

In addition to the Tata-Airbus manufacturing plant, the now-failed Vedanta-Foxconn chip factory was also diverted from Maharashtra to Gujarat, Ramesh said.

The Textile Commissionerate Office, based in Mumbai for 80+ years, was suddenly shifted to Delhi last year, for no clear reason whatsoever, despite the fact that the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) remains a huge hub of textiles, he said.

Ramesh said the Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development was also shifted from Nagpur to Delhi in 2021.

"The Government sat on the demand for classical language status to Marathi for ten years, only moving to ensure it on the eve of the Assembly Elections - after sustained pressure from the Indian National Congress and civil society organisations in Maharashtra," he said.

Ramesh asserted that the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi do not believe in playing favourites.

"We believe in the equitable development of the entire country. New infrastructure projects, special investment zones, and modern industry should benefit all Indians, and not one state alone," he said.

When the industrialisation of Gujarat was underway in the 1970s and 80s, projects like Gujarat State Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (GSFC), Gujarat Refinery, and IPCL were set up without taking away projects from other states, Ramesh pointed out.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprises Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

The remarks of the Congress leader came ahead of the polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly on 20 November.

The votes will be counted on 23 November, a day before the current Maharashtra Assembly completes its term.