CM Fadnavis' 'kutta' remark sparks row in Maharashtra; Raj Thackeray, Sanjay Raut slam BJP leader over 'arrogance'

Missing Link between Mumbai and Pune was briefly shut early this week after heavy rainfall triggered landslides outside one of its tunnels.

Monsoon mayhem seems to have set off a political slugfest in Maharashtra after the government came under intense backlash over temporary closure of Missing Link between Mumbai and Pune amid heavy rainfall.

While the opposition parties have been questioning the government over the quality of infrastructure projects such as the key Missing Link, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis accused the critics of spreading ‘falsehood’.

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Fadnavis on Wednesday warned those defaming Maharashtra and spreading misinformation on social media through hired trolls would not not be spared.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray replied to Fadnavis' retort and asked how does raising questions on projects like Missing Link insult Maharashtra.

Speaking at an event of the MNS Rail Sena, his party's railway union, Thackeray also asked how it is politics when people ask questions about infrastructure projects.

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"What were you (BJP) doing when others were in power? How is anyone insulting Maharashtra when they talk of the Missing Link? Castigating the government does not mean criticising Maharashtra....If you say anything against the Centre, then it is (dubbed as) anti-national," Thackeray said.

It was the BJP which started targeting its opponents on online platforms, but now it is backfiring, he added.

The BJP-led Maharashtra government has come under criticism after the newly constructed Missing Link section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was briefly shut down earlier this week following a landslide outside one of its tunnels.

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He also trained guns at the BJP over the alleged donation irregularities at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Asking questions about the theft is not an insult to the religion, he said, adding that of the 15 trustees, 12 had been appointed by the Centre and were linked to the RSS, VHP and BJP.

“We too have faith in the Ram Mandir. But when 1,400 crore rupees go missing there, should we not speak? Fine, when we do speak, they'll say, why don't you speak about the Waqf Board. What do we have to do with what's going on in the Waqf Board? If we speak about the embezzlement of money devoutly offered to God by Hindu devotees in this country, will you label us as anti-religion?,” he said.

The Fadnavis government also faced criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut who criticised his recent confrontational stance regarding the "Missing Link" infrastructure project.

On Fadnavis' warning, Raut questioned the atmosphere of governance in Maharashtra and asked whether an "Emergency" had been imposed in Maharashtra and alleged that corruption, looting and intimidation had become hallmarks of the present administration.

"Failure, Ego, Arrogance, and so on and so forth... All this will come to an end in a moment! Maharashtra needs a cultured Chief Minister! But what can one do? The mine is just dirt! Has Devendra Fadnavis imposed an Emergency in Maharashtra? Government-sponsored corruption, looting, and mob rule--this very Emergency is the one where the people aren't allowed to speak out!" Raut said in a post on X.

Why Fadnavis' remark prompted strong reactions

On Wednesday, Fadnavis made remarks in the Assembly which promptes strong reactions from the opposition.

A video clip of his speech was shared by Raut where Fadnavis said, "Hamare Jayantrao ji ne sahi baat kahi, jinko kutta nahin ponchta, woh aajkal social media par aakar sabko gaali dete han, mukhyamantri ko bhi gaali dete han. Aise kuch bhaade ke tattu, iss mising link ke baare mein bhi paisa le-laker social media par likh rahe the, unko bhi keh dena chahta hun, agar Maharashtra ka apmaan karoge, chhodoonga nahin." (Our Jayantrao ji said the right thing. Those who even a dog doesn't notice come on social media these days and abuse everyone, even the Chief Minister. Some such hired trolls were also writing about this 'Missing Link' on social media after taking money. I want to tell them too, if you insult Maharashtra, I will not spare you.)

The row has erupted after heavy rainfall triggered landslides in the Mumbai-Pune ghat section earlier this week, disrupting both rail and road connectivity. The landslide near the Missing Link tunnel led to the suspension of traffic on the Mumbai-bound carriageway, while several train services were cancelled or diverted as restoration work continued amid persistent rainfall.