Vedanta-Foxconn Issue: Was Money Demanded from Firm, Asks MNS' Raj Thackeray

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Monday sought an inquiry into the state losing the multi-billion dollar Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor chip manufacturing project to neighbouring Gujarat and asked if any money was demanded from the joint venture firm.

He said Maharashtra used to be the leading state in the country when it came to attracting industries but this was changing. "It must be investigated why industries that were supposed to come to Maharashtra have now shifted to other states. Was money demanded from them," he said when queried on the Vedanta-Foxconn political slugfest.

Addressing a press conference here, he also rued the political situation in the state over the last few years and said it was tough to understand or guess who would ally with whom to form government.

"I have never seen such chaos and cheating in Maharashtra politics. No one knows who is with whom, who is forming government," he said. Attacking former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, the MNS leader said the former's party fought the 2019 polls in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, but created a tussle over sharing of chief ministerial tenure soon after results were announced.

"Why did you (Uddhav Thackeray) not announce the alliance terms and conditions publicly ahead of the (2019) polls? Should people who vote for certain parties just keep watching such cheating take place? This is an insult to voters," he said.

The MNS chief also played a down meeting between him and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari here as "just a courtesy call between long-time friends". He also said the issue of statehood for Vidarbha must be decided by the public. Queried on groups like the Aam Aadmi Party allegedly offering freebies to the electorate to win polls, he said people want things at proper price and in time and not free.

(With PTI inputs)