Mumbai's identity not for sale: Shiv Sena (UBT) in Saamana

The Shiv Sena UBT launched a blistering attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday accusing him of insulting the common people of Maharashtra and conspiring to diminish Mumbais regional identity reported news agency IANSIt criticised the Chief Ministers statements regarding employment and local culture during the campaign for the 29 Municipal Corporation elections including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMClsquoVadaPav Zindabadrsquo Marathi food labour and pride under threatThe Thackeray camp in the party mouthpiece lsquoSaamanarsquo editorial titled lsquoVadaPav Zindabadrsquo termed lsquoVadaPavrsquo a symbol of Marathi identity and an economic lifeline for thousands while accusing the state government of failing to protect Maharashtras industries reported IANSCM accused of belittling Marathi culture and livelihoodsIt slammed CM Fadnavis for ldquobelittlingrdquo the VadaPav industry during his speech at a joint rally on Monday saying that while other state leaders take pride in their local food mdash such as Bihars lsquoLitti Chokharsquo Delhis Kachori or Karnatakas lsquoBenne Dosarsquo mdash the current rulers of Maharashtra seem to ldquohaterdquo the states own lsquoZunkaBhakarrsquo and lsquoVadaPavrsquoIt further stated that lsquoVadaPavrsquo is not just a snack but a global symbol of the Marathi lsquoshramikrsquo hardworking class that has now gone international reaching cities like New York and LondonEditorial accuses BJP of elitism hostility towards common manldquoThose who hate the sweat of the common man will never understand the greatness of VadaPavrdquo said the editorial accusing the BJP of elitism and ldquohatredrdquo towards the states working class reported IANSldquoThe VadaPav industry has lit the stoves chulhas in thousands of Marathi homes To insult it is to insult the hardworking common man This time the haters of Maharashtra should be lsquofried and roastedrsquo in the boiling oil of the VadaPav stallrdquo it addedIndustries lsquokidnappedrsquo to Gujarat Saamana allegesAccording to the editorial major industries and investments are being ldquokidnappedrdquo from Mumbai and moved to GujaratldquoFadnavis says they will provide lsquoemployment not VadaPavrsquo But where will this employment come from if you are sending all the projects to Gujaratrdquo it asked reported IANSThe editorial reiterated that the BJP is attempting to ldquodelinkrdquo Mumbai from its Marathi roots to facilitate the shifting of major projects to GujaratAttack on Annamalai remark silence of FadnavisShinde questionedA significant portion of the critique is directed at BJP leader K Annamalai who recently sparked a row by stating that Mumbai is an ldquointernational cityrdquo and does not belong only to MaharashtraThe Thackeray camp attacked the state governments silence on these remarks and questioned why CM Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde have not ldquoshown the couragerdquo to condemn Annamalais statements labelling their silence a ldquosurrender of Maharashtrarsquos priderdquoBMC polls framed as battle of lsquomuscle and moneyrsquoWith the BMC polls scheduled for January 15 the editorial described the campaign as a battle of ldquomuscle and moneyrdquoIt claimed the BJP is bringing in ldquogoonsrdquo from other states to intimidate Marathi votersShivaji Park rally contrast Thackeray brothersrsquo shows draw crowdsldquoThe recent rally at Shivaji Park by the lsquoMahayutirsquo BJPShinde faction was a failure with empty chairs whereas the joint rally of the Thackeray brothers Uddhav and Raj saw an ocean of people The joint appearances of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have created a lsquopolitical stormrsquo in Marathi heartlands like Lalbaug Parel and Worlirdquo said the editorial reported IANSlsquoMarathi Manoosrsquo will not sell future for money warns Sena UBTThe Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena UBT warned that the ldquoMarathi Manoosrdquo will not sell their loyalty and future for the ldquocorrupt moneyrdquo being distributed in the final days before pollingIt accused ldquoKamlabairdquo a reference to the BJPs lotus symbol of attempting to ldquobuyrdquo the election while citing alleged incidents of BJP workers being caught distributing money in various wardsWith inputs from IANS