maha vikas aghadhi

Mumbai: Protesting MSRTC Workers Arrested Near Sharad Pawar’s Residence

According to the police, the protesters were stopped by security when they tried to enter the premises, which led to the protesters allegedly turning violent and breaking the security barricades.

New Delhi: On Friday, the Mumbai Police arrested over a hundred striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for allegedly attempting to barge into Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in South Mumbai.

The workers have been on strike for five months, and nearly 250 bus depots across Maharashtra have been affected. Lakhs of commuters dependent on buses have been impacted, and the public transport system paralysed as a result.

Nearly all the 250 bus depots across Maharashtra have been shut since November 9 last year, paralysing the public transportation system and affecting lakhs of people who depend on state buses for travel.

The protest was triggered when several MSRTC staffers died by suicide as the corporation struggled to pay the already delayed salaries of the workers after the nationwide coronavirus lockdown between March and June 2020. One of them, according to media reports, even blamed chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in his suicide note.

On Thursday, the Bombay high court had disposed of the contempt plea filed in a writ petition by the MSRTC against striking employees, directing the corporation to drop charges against the staffers. The court also directed that those who had been terminated should be reinstated, provided they resume work by April 22.

About 90,000 employees of the MSRTC have been on a strike since October 2021 demanding that the corporation be merged with the state so the employees can avail benefits of government employees.

As many expected the strike to be withdrawn on Friday, a group of protesters gathered outside Pawar’s residence around 3:15 pm. According to the police, the protesters started raising slogans, accusing Pawar of neglecting their issues and concerns. The protesters were stopped by security when they tried to enter the premises, which led to the protesters allegedly turning violent and breaking the security barricades.

Uddhav Thackeray condemned the striking employees as the incident created ripples in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The state home minister Dilip Walse Patil called on the police brass to investigate their failure in anticipating the violent protest.

Mumbai police detained the protesters who had turned violent and also registered a case against 132 people. The security at the residences of state ministers in Mumbai, including transport minister Anil Parab was also tightened as a safety measure. The entrance and exit gates of Azad Maidan, where MSRTC staffers are protesting, have been barricaded.

Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule – who is Pawar’s daughter – tried to calm the situation down but to no avail, she said while speaking to the media. She said, “I am thankful to the Mumbai Police for their prompt reaction… What has happened today is very unfortunate…”

Claiming that Pawar did not help them, a protester told the Indian Express, “We have been protesting at Azad Maidan for over five months now but nobody listened to us. Pawar is responsible for the suicides of the workers…”

The workers described the protest as a form of mourning for the 120 colleagues who have died over the past 18 months, allegedly due to financial stress. While the workers at Azad Maidan blame Pawar for their distress, Pawar says that he is on their side and the protest’s leaders are “misguiding” the workers.

If you know someone – friend or family member – at risk of suicide, please reach out to them. The Suicide Prevention India Foundation maintains a list of telephone numbers (www.spif.in/seek-help/) they can call to speak in confidence. You could also refer them to the nearest hospital.

Interview | ‘There is Need for a National Level Leader to Rally the Opposition’: Sanjay Raut

The BJP’s ‘Operation Kamal’ to dislodge governments will not succeed in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena MP tells ‘The Wire’ on the first anniversary of the MVA government.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government has completed a year in office. Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as chief minister on November 28 last year in what was seen as a new experiment in politics in the state. The BJP found itself out in the cold with the unexpected coming together of the Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

The Wire spoke to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut who has emerged as a key figure in the coalition.

Raut talks about how regional parties have halted the BJP in many states and says ‘Operation Kamal’ will not succeed in Maharashtra as the three allies are together like the vajramuth, a mighty fist which cannot be opened.

This interview was conducted just before November 28, the date of the first anniversary, and excerpts are below.

In the light of the first year of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, how do you see the next four years.

I do agree that the first year of any government is always important. But the year has been a challenging one for the entire nation due to a series of developments including the COVID-19 pandemic which has been raging for the past eight months.

Several problems and issues remained far from resolved as the entire focus of the state government was on fighting the deadly pandemic on which most of the budget was spent. So this year cannot be considered a normal year in which one could do things.

Also read: For Uddhav Thackeray, One Year Down But Four More to Go

Now each and every moment from the second year onwards will be devoted for the welfare of people and the state.

Even though I am not part of the government, I see that steps are being initiated to get major investment in the state, including foreign investment. You will see results in the next three months – about 12 lakhs or more jobs will be generated.

Health workers wearing protective gears record details of the residents during a check-up campaign for COVID-19 in Mumbai on July 22, 2020. Photo:Reuters/Hemanshi Kamani

How has the Centre’s cooperation been in the last one year?

The chief minister and ministers say that there was not much co-operation from the Centre, which is a guardian of the states. Much of the revenue from Mumbai and Maharashtra goes to the Centre on which the country runs. The biggest share in the Central corpus is from Mumbai and Maharashtra, but how much we get in return is a question.

Take the question of GST arrears. The GST machinery is totally failing. How to get things moving is a big question in such a situation. The Centre cannot wash its hands in this manner. You just cannot leave states to their fate.

Also read: The Great GST Impasse Threatens India’s Federal Structure

What are your expectations from the Centre?

The states will have to be helped out. It has to help them in these moments of crisis. The Centre should take loans. No one will give a loan to the states as the Centre’s creditworthiness is more.

How will Maharashtra become number 1 when Gujarat claims it is ranked the highest?

Only when all states progress, the country will bag the number 1 slot. States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are categorised as backward. Every state has the right to be number 1. But since it is not happening, states like Maharashtra have to bear the burden of the entire country.

So migrant labour is there in cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore. So all states needed to be helped by the Centre as favouring only one state does not help. Gujarat might be the Prime Minister’s home state, but other states belong to him too. For some time, there have been attempts to move certain industrial units as also some prominent (government) offices from Mumbai to Gujarat. This sort of thing will not make Gujarat the number 1 state.

What is the message of the electoral verdict in Bihar for non-BJP parties? Especially as the opposition combine led by the RJD virtually lost by a whisker? Who is the weak link in the anti-BJP formation?

The message of Bihar is that a young leader like Tejashwi Yadav can give a run for the money to those high and mighty running the Centre if one decides to take them on.

The win of the its allies win in is not a big thing. One side had all the might, the money and the muscle. If what Tejashwi Yadav says is true then the lustre of your victory is lost. Tejashwi is alleging a fraud towards the end of the poll, done to deny him victory. If someone has to be complimented it is Tejashwi.

File image of Rahul Gandhi with Tejashwi Yadav. Photo: PTI

But which is the ‘kamjor kadi’ in Bihar and overall?

Overall, I do not see at present a leader who could unite and lead the opposition in the country. I do not see a leader acceptable to all like what we saw in the case of Jayaprakash Narayan a few decades back. At another point, V.P. Singh was the leader.

After Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi lost the elections, they were leaders of the opposition.

Today, I see leaders of regional parties in various states, but at the national level, I do not see anyone providing leadership by taking everyone along. The moment that leadership emerges, it would provide a stiff challenge to those leading the Centre. I do not say that the opposition should always come to power, but it needs to stand up and be counted. When the government goes wrong, the opposition must be able to state its position forcefully.

We have seen what happened politically in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and the failed attempt in Rajasthan. Now after Bihar, do you see an ‘Operation Kamal’ taking place in Maharashtra? Who do you think would be the weakest link in such a situation?

There is no weak link in Maharashtra. The unity of all the three parties in the coalition is vajrmuth.

‘Operation Kamal’ succeeds when there is someone ready to get sold and there are buyers in the auction. In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have come together under a Common Minimum Programme and these three parties will run the government for four years more. Remember that ‘Operation Kamal’ failed in Rajasthan. I do not think that Operation Kamal was successful in Madhya Pradesh. This is because Jyotiraditya Scindia wanted himself to part ways with the Congress. He was uneasy for a long time. The same thing happened to Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan.

File photo of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot and Avinash Pande. Photo: PTI

Catching the dissidents and bringing them on to the ruling side was practiced by Congress in its heydays. Those who wield power, have control over the government machinery and the investigative agencies succeed in it. Nothing more, nothing less.

So the main actors in these operations are not political parties but CBI, ED and other central agencies. They should be given the credit.

Now there are plans to create a parallel Bollywood in Uttar Pradesh by the Adityanath government.

It is a good development if they are setting up a project for the development of the film industry. But why should it be a ‘parallel’ Bollywood? They had made such an attempt sometime back in Noida. I don’t know what happened.

If Yogi government will be doing something that would bring the glitter back on the film industry and provide employment to people, we will welcome it. There are film industries in the south, West Bengal etc. If any state is starting such a venture, there is no reason for Mumbai and Maharashtra to feel bad.

But one thing must be understood: Mumbai is Mumbai. Mumbai and Maharashtra is the birthplace of the Indian film industry from where pioneers like Dadasaheb Phalke started their journey. Maharashtra has made much contribution for the film industry and that is why it settled in Mumbai.

Mumbai is the economic capital of the country. It is said that business leaders are more comfortable with the BJP and especially with the Gujarat model.

I don’t see any model of any state. We talk about national models. All industries and industry leaders have grown from Mumbai and Maharashtra. They have their industries still in Maharashtra. If they have opened their branches in other states, we look at it from the angle of national development.

So there is no Gujarat model?

What model? Industrialists go where there are more facilities and concessions for the industry. Ample land and water availability, as also power, attracts them. They have gone to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh too and they are coming to Maharashtra too.

I consider Gujarat and Maharashtra as twin states which are dependent on each other.

Some people try to bring disaffection between them which is totally wrong. These two states have always cherished good relations and it will always be so.

Then what about moving the prestigious International Financial Services Centre from Mumbai to Gujarat?

There has been a controversy over that. Really, the then BJP government in Maharashtra should have opposed the proposal. You can set up such a separate centre in Gujarat. But to shift such a centre from Maharashtra to any other state is injustice to Maharashtra. Even if you move an institution away from Mumbai, the importance of Mumbai in the economic sphere is going to remain due to its geographical location.

A bird’s eye view of Mumbai. Photo: PTI

Now BJP is talking of ‘flying the saffron’ on Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in spite of the fact that Shiv Sena has been controlling it for the past over three decades.

I will have to understand what is meant by ‘flying the saffron’ on the BMC.

Is their saffron different from our saffron? Then why are they not saying that they have unfurled the saffron in Bihar, because Nitish Kumar is allergic to saffron? Why do they talk about Mumbai?

Saffron is related to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with war and bravery. Shiv Sena by its bravery has ensured that the saffron flies in Mumbai for the past half century. It means the saffron flag of Chhatrapati Shivaji would always be aflutter and if anyone attempts to touch the saffron then history knows what happens to them.

NPR, Bhima Koregaon Case Sow First Seeds of Difference Within Maha Vikas Aghadi

Until now, the coalition partners have so far ensured that any disagreement between the three does not get out of hand.

Differences between the partners in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government in the state have emerged over two recent decisions taken by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Though criticism by the partners has remained subdued, the Nationalist Congress Party has left no doubt that it is unhappy with Thackeray’s moves.

Though all the three partners have been keen to proclaim publicly that there is no rift, or any danger to the coalition, both the Congress and the NCP have been getting restive at the Shiv Sena’s initiatives on key issues, on all of which the others have strong opinions.

The NCP and Congress are firmly opposed to the Modi government’s Citizenship Amendment Act and its related processes, which includes the National Population Register drive, which begins in May. The Congress has called the NPR, the “NRC in disguise” and Thackeray too had said earlier that no citizen in Maharashtra would be affected.

A few days ago, the state government did a U-turn over its stand on the Centre’s move to have the National Investigative Agency take over the Elgar Parishad case, as part of which several activists have been held for over a year on charges of sedition.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray. Photo: Twitter/@OfficeofUT

Just before the NIA took it over, there was speculation that the accused would get bail; that was effectively stymied by the Centre.

Thackeray and the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece, Saamana, criticised the move but a few days later, agreed to hand it over to the NIA without any objection. Home minister Anil Deshmukh said he had objected to this, but had been overruled.

Also read: ‘Centre’s Decision to Hand Bhima Koregaon to NIA Unconstitutional’: Maha Home Minister

Last week, Thackeray called a meeting of senior bureaucrats for a briefing on the preparation of the door-to-door enumeration process under the National Population Register, which is being assumed to be a key component of the entire CAA-NRC process which has drawn massive protests all over the country. A large rally was held in Mumbai just on Saturday where speakers such as Abu Azmi, an MLA of the Samajwadi Party, declared that people not allow NPR teams to enter their homes.

पुणे के शाहीन बाग से लौटते समय पिम्परि चिंचवड़ में हम भारत के लोग और संविधान बचाओ समिति की तरफ से आयोजित एन्टी CAA NRC NPR आंदोलन में हिस्सा लिया।#IndiaAgainstCAA pic.twitter.com/ayU5drzDtW

— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) January 21, 2020

Thackeray’s open endorsement for it, after indicating he was against CAA-NRC, has upset his partners considerably. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has reportedly conveyed his displeasure to Thackeray and on Saturday, the chief minister made it a point to declare that the BJP’s attempts to destablise his government will not work.

That is not likely for now, since the local BJP is in disarray following it loss in the state elections and the clumsy attempt to form a government with NCP’s Ajit Pawar which failed spectacularly and in full public view.

It has put paid to Devendra Fadnavis’s political ambitions for now and others, like former minister Eknath Khadse, have not succeeded in stepping into the breach, though not for want of trying.

The coalition partners thus have no immediate threat from outside, but have to consolidate their own house.

The three parties come from disparate ideological backgrounds and though each one is making special efforts to make adjustments, there is discomfort in all three at having to do so with others. The NCP and the Congress have an old relationship and overlap on broad issues, but the latter is always wary of Sharad Pawar. The Congress, also, is deeply uncomfortable of supping with the Sena, while within the latter, many influential leaders would rather be back with the BJP.

All three are in an arrangement of mutual benefit, but each knows of the innate problems of such a coalition.

Still, with considerable goodwill and with a common goal of keeping the BJP out, it is likely that they will stick together for the time being. Many observers feel that if they can continue with minimal hiccups for at least two years, they could make a big difference. The social atmosphere has certainly improved and the public protests, which have been held without much problems is a refreshing breath of fresh air in comparison with other BJP ruled states where governments have reacted against protestors with ferocity.

The Shiv Sena is also watching Raj Thackeray of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena closely.

Also read: Raj Thackeray’s Right Turn is Dangerous. Here’s Why it Is Likely to Fail

After attacking Narendra Modi bitterly during the run up to the May 2019 generation elections, Raj has now gone full saffron, even changing his multi-coloured flag to that colour. He has begun talking in public about Hindutva and his party’s latest vigilante action against Muslims in the northern Mumbai suburbs where residents were asked for their citizenship documents, has set alarm bells ringing.

Uddhav Thackeray, who is aware that many of his followers are pro-Modi and pro-Hindutva, could be worried that his cousin will woo away such partymen. That has to be nipped in the bud and the chief minister’s pro-NPR announcement could be to pre-empt any bid by Raj to criticise the state government.

The coalition partners have so far ensured that any disagreement between the three does not get out of hand – statements are quickly issued to express unity.

But this is no permanent solution – unless there is complete agreement on key policy issues such as the NPR, the differences could tear the coalition apart. The next few months will be crucial.