Arguments enter day two while chief minister and industries minister remain firm on stand
Monday's events between the Shiv Sena and BJP saw a continuation on Tuesday, as Industries Minister Subhash Desai claimed that he has started the procedure to cancel the notification for the land acquisition in Nanar for the disputed refinery project in the Konkan region. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took no time to ridicule Desai over the statement and maintained his stance from the previous day that the authority to cancel the notification was vested with the high-power committee headed by the Chief Secretary.
The battle of words between the parties began on Monday following a public rally addressed by Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and continued on Tuesday as Sena ministers led by Desai met the chief minister just before the cabinet meeting.
Desai informed the media that he had handed over a letter to the chief minister seeking the cancellation of the notification for the land acquisition in Nanar. The minister added that a letter to start the process for the notification's cancellation was handed over to the Secretary of the industries department. When the media posed Fadnavis' claims to Desai and questioned his authority to initiate such a cancellation, the minister said, "I know my duty as a minister and I know the constitution. I have started the procedure for cancelling the notification and whatever I announced in the public rally at Nanar stands. The notification will be cancelled."
Soon after Desai's address to the media, Fadnavis stood by his words from the previous day as well. Speaking to the media at the Mantralaya, Fadnavis said, "Sena ministers, especially Desai, met me and handed over a letter seeking de-notification of the land notified for the Nanar project. However, whatever I said on Monday stands. The authority to cancel this notification is vested with a high-power committee headed by the chief secretary."
Fadnavis said that Desai's letter to him was in response to the chief minister's explanation of the notification's technical aspect on Monday. Fadnavis reiterated that the state government would take a decision which would be in the interest of the people of the Konkan region and state. However, the chief minister refused to comment on the consequences this war of words could have on the relations between the parties.
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