Mumbai, July 18 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday declared that no one can separate Mumbai from Maharashtra as it will remain in the state.

In his reply to the motion moved by opposition parties in the state Assembly, CM Fadnavis took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying that after four months during the upcoming local and civic body elections, the issue of “ploy to break Mumbai from Maharashtra” will be flagged off.

“Mumbai belongs to Maharashtra. If someone’s father comes, father’s father comes, or his grandfather comes, Mumbai will remain in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, the voice of Marathi Manoos will remain strong,” he announced.

CM Fadnavis further said, “After one and a half years, the transformation of Mumbai can be seen. It will be modern and accommodating. We have to make a progressive Maharashtra.”

The Chief Minister’s statement assumes significance as recently Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Raj Thackeray had cautioned the ‘Marathi Manoos’ to remain alert and “foil attempts to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra”.

Amid row over “imposition” of Hindi, CM Fadnavis said that the government will decide after the Narendra Jadhav-led committee submits its report.

Referring to his meeting with Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday when the latter presented him a collection of articles questioning what is the need to make Hindi mandatory in the state, he said, “I read the booklet yesterday. Just because someone met someone, it does not mean that they met for an alliance. The booklet should be attached with a few more pages. It should be added that a committee’s report suggesting to make Hindi mandatory for classes 1 to 12 had come before Thackeray’s cabinet, and the latter had accepted the same.”

While deploring the clash between the supporters of legislators Gopichand Padalkar and Jitendra Awhad on Thursday in Vidhan Bhavan lobby, CM Fadnavis appealed to elected representatives to follow the code of conduct and avoid any act that will tarnish the image of Maharashtra.

CM Fadnavis reiterated that the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, passed by both Houses of the state legislature, was not against the Left parties but against left-wing extremism (LWE).

“The Public Safety Act is to prevent people from trying to create chaos in India by propagating the Maoist ideology. Action will not be taken under this act in cases of protest or writing against the government,” he said.

He drew a parallel between Islamic Extremism and the LWE, saying that the government was not against Left parties and Left ideology.

CM Fadnavis countered the Opposition’s allegation about rising crime incidents, saying the state has witnessed 6.5 per cent fewer cases compared to last year. The crime in Maharashtra’s second capital, Nagpur, has decreased by 11 per cent.

However, the chief minister expressed concern over the increasing cases of drugs, saying that action will be taken under the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act to seriously control the drug menace.

He warned that the concerned police officers will be dealt with firmly if the drug trade continues in their jurisdiction. He added that 13 policemen have been dismissed so far.

“I have also given information about narcotics. By the end of May 2024, 1568 accused were arrested. By the end of May, 2,194 accused have been arrested. Now, we have created a separate Narcotics Cell in every police station. About 5,975 officials and 1974 personnel are working in the Special Narcotics Cell. Narcotics have become a big challenge for us. We have directed that action will be taken at the level of every police station to take action against it,” informed the chief minister.

–IANS

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