Uddhav Thackeray-Narayan Rane face-off marks Chipi airport take-off

CM Uddhav Thackeray and Union Minister Narayan Rane at the inaugural ceremony of the Chipi Airport in Sindhudurg on Saturday

The inaugural ceremony of the Chipi Airport in Sindhudurg on Saturday saw sparks flying between the political opponents Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Union Minister Narayan Rane. Claiming his immense contribution to the project, Rane alleged that the people who opposed the development of the Sindhudurg district were sitting on the dais. In his rejoinder to the former Shiv Sainik, the CM responded saying that the occasion didn't warrant "throwing a fit" and remarked that liars had been expelled from the Shiv Sena a long time ago by the party's founder and his father Bal Thackeray. The two shared the dais after 16 years, sitting next to each other, but maintaining physical distance, due to Covid-19 protocols. Apart from a bout of slogan shouting, no untoward incident was reported from the airport, which on Saturday started operating flights from Mumbai.

‘Worked to build Konkan'

All eyes were on the speeches the two leaders made, because Rane had promised to "expose the people in the Sena", who allegedly extorted money from contractors and were now claiming credit for projects like the airport that they had opposed in the past. Rane, who is currently serving as the minister of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of India, stuck to his promise, and though he didn't name anyone, he gave enough hints about the people he was referring to. "Uddhavaji, I request you to appoint a person to know the ground situation here, because people who feed you information are lying. I would be politicising the event if I mention who goes where, who has stopped the road work, who had opposed this airport, and who stalled the Sea World project. I have photographs of the agitation, which was led by this person," he said, adding that "whatever good he did for Sindhudurg and the rest of the Konkan was because of the blessings of Balasaheb". "But, nobody comes close [as me], when working for the development of the Konkan region," claimed Rane, insisting that he didn't want to share the credit with the late Sena founder. He listed the incomplete supporting infrastructure work at the airport and appealed to the CM's son and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray to work hard.

CM responds in same vein

After an online address by the Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Thackeray lived up to the expectations of his supporters, but without the aggression that was on full display from Rane. He built up the attack, laced with sarcasm and barbs, before taking on the adversary directly. "This isn't the occasion to throw a fit. It's a happy moment. Some people forget the teachings of the land where we live. Remember, the land has to bear and rear the thorny plants as well," he said, asking why it took so long to complete the project that started 29 years ago.

"I know that the Sindhudurg Fort was built by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, or else someone may claim that he built it," he said, obviously in reference to Rane's claim that he developed the region single-handedly, adding that he has seen so many people, who promised to turn the Konkan region into California.

Responding to Rane's charge of local leaders hindering development work, Thackeray hit directly at the former. "Thanks a lot, Rane saheb for doing so many things here, but it isn't that the people here do something out of fear. I'm proud of Vinayak Raut [local MP and Rane's target] who has been duly elected by the people. What you said is true that Balasaheb didn't like liars. He expelled the liars from the party… I signed your hospital and medical college [in Sindhudurg] file immediately after you called me," he said, telling Rane that he didn't let politics affect development.

Thackeray proposed to have a heliport at the airport, so that tourists could be given a tour of the region's marine beauty and forts, and promised to create international infrastructure at the airport. "Let us work together. We should draw our swords against the enemy of the state, not against each other," he said.