Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday demanded facilities and incentives like Gujarat's GIFT City for Mumbai while accusing the BJP of systematically weakening the city's economic standing.

Talking at a party event here, Thackeray alleged a deliberate erosion of Mumbai's financial importance.

"Subsidies and facilities given to GIFT City should also be extended to Mumbai. The BJP is deliberately weakening Mumbai's economic backbone," he claimed.

The former state minister criticised the BJP's policies for shifting major projects and headquarters from Mumbai to Gujarat and Delhi, questioning the impact on Maharashtra's economy.

"Headquarters of many companies have moved out of Mumbai. How will the city benefit from this? Even in Jharkhand and Varanasi, people ask why new projects are going to Gujarat instead of other states," he said.

Thackeray also expressed concerns about the proposed NAINA city near the Navi Mumbai airport under private entities like the Adani Group.

"The BJP must clarify if the airport will be handed over to Adani. We will oppose it for sure," he said.

The Sena (UBT) leader criticised delays in the coastal road, Atal Setu and other infrastructural projects in Mumbai and expressed disappointment over deteriorating healthcare services in civic hospitals in the city.

"Mumbai has been the backbone of India's economy for decades. We will not let it lose its importance," he said.

Published on March 9, 2025