After rains stop, I’ll personally oversee pothole repair work: Uddhav Thackeray

An eroding mass base, a series of poll debacles, the mantle of grappling with a party split after his estranged cousin formed his own outfit and just about the BMC to hold on to. There are many problems which Uddhav Thackeray is coping with. DNA caught up with the Shiv Sena executive president where he spoke of the effort at cutting off Mumbai from Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi’s fear of chappals and the Thackeray dynasty.

Is Marathi a more important issue to you than Hindutva?
There’s nothing to prioritise. Our country was divided on a linguistic basis. When it comes to the nation, it always is and will be Hindutva first. But in Maharashtra, Marathi is our mother tongue. You cannot choose between the two. I wonder why this question is only asked to the Marathi manoos. No one ever asks such questions to North Indians.

The city has been facing a problem of increasing number of skyscrapers and the Sena delegation even met the chief minister regarding the issue. What was his reaction?
He [chief minister] said he would look into the matter. Is increasing FSI the definition of development for this government? Or do skyscrapers mean development? The city does not have an industrial plant for water. The construction work of Upper Vaitarna dam is about to finish and it will give 450mld water to the city. But it will take time.

And by that time, the city's population would grow so much that we will again face water cuts. The increased prices of land will benefit only the builders. Mumbai is facing 'builder raj' and the government is standing behind these builders. Gangsters are being killed in encounters but who will take care of these builders who harass the common man?

The Sena-ruled BMC recently hiked BEST ticket price. Don’t you think the common man will be burdened further?
BEST’s price hike came after six years. It was unfortunate, but we had no option. Petrol and diesel prices have been increasing without fail for past few years. We were not happy to announce the fare hike. It is a public transport system used by common Mumbaikars and we had even asked the Centre for subsidy on the fuel used in BEST, but there was no response. The state government owes Rs800 crore to the BMC, which they have not paid yet.

BMC and Sena were criticised for not preventing the spread of malaria in Mumbai...
Those who criticised should go and stay in Delhi and survive dengue there. This year, the city received record-breaking rains, even more than that it did in 2005, but it did not face water-logging problems. Yes, there was an increase in malaria cases in June and July, but it is decreasing now. The administration can be held guilty only if it did not work in spite of the epidemic.

Who is giving permissions to all these constructions in the city? Who is bringing migrant labourers to the city? And who is preventing us from taking action against those builders? The BMC does not have the authority to do so. There should be only one authority which controls Mumbai. You cannot hold the BMC responsible if it does not have enough power.

Why do you say BMC’s rights have been clipped by MMRDA?
The BMC co-ordinates with MMRDA, MSRDC, railways, airport authorities and defence. But projects such as metro and skywalks were carried out without consulting the BMC and the blame for the destruction of infrastructure was put on the civic body. These authorities dig roads, which led to potholes and water-logging.

The BMC cannot be held responsible for this. The MMRDA has been formed to create a new industrial state of Mumbai and to sideline the BMC. In the coming assembly sessions, the government is going to propose the new bill which will give the rights of solid waste and water management to MMRDA. That means that the BMC will have to take permission from the MMRDA for every other thing. This is unconstitutional and we are going to oppose it.

Potholes in the city are a big problem. What have you done to address this issue?
That there are potholes on the roads of Mumbai is a reality. This year, rains have extended and it is preventing us from carrying out the repairing work. I promise that once the rain stops, I will personally go to every street and will take initiative in the repairing work. However, Western and Eastern Express Highways come under the state government authorities. So, BMC is not responsible every single pothole in the city.

The BMC commissioner has blamed migrant labourers for the degradation of environment. Do you agree?
Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray had raised his voice against the migrants in 1966 and that time, he was labeled as narrow-minded. But his words are coming true now. Constitution has given rights to every Indian to stay wherever he or she wants to, but has not given them the right to build a slum and not pay taxes. Buy a house and pay taxes, but those who live illegally should be opposed. Rahul Gandhi recently accepted at a rally in Bihar that people from there go to Maharashtra. Why do they come here? Who’s responsible for them? They do not have enough employment there, which is why they come here.

There was a controversy over the division of Mumbai, after an MLA raised this issue…
This is Congress’s old habit. They raise such issues through someone who is worthless. If the issue receives support, they promote it. If it receives criticism, they call it ‘his personal opinion.’

Are you considering any party other than the BJP for a tie-up in the BMC elections?
No party except BJP is worth tying up with.

What about the Thackeray jodo abhiyan?
That issue is closed for me.

Your son, Aditya, is forming ‘Yuva Sena’. Is that not dynasty politics?
Yuva Sena will make its debut with a bang. As far as dynasty is concerned, Aditya is working honestly for the party of which his family is a part. Not like others where the father works for some party and son works for some other. He is working at the ground level, among people. And those people will only decide whether he will stay in the politics or not.

People like Rahul Gandhi are afraid of people’s chappals as they have not come from within the people; they are forced on to people. About 22,000 police personnel were on the roads of Mumbai when he was here. He travelled in a train compartment which was empty. He cannot travel among the masses. Sonia might become president of the Congress even for 40th time because her party leaders are spineless.

Why did you protest against Reserve Bank of India?
Bombay was named Mumbai in 1995. Despite that, the bank’s cheques carried the name Bombay, not Mumbai. Bombay does not exist anymore. We had to take a stand against that.

How do you see the education system in the state?
Our education system is a production factory, which does not give you job opportunities. Our state does not even have a full-time education minister. Balasaheb Thorat handles education plus agriculture. This is like sofa-cum-bed.