Mumbai: After a lot of dilly-dallying, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena have finally forged an alliance, but many in the BJP are upset about it and these rebels have sounded the bugle of revolt in Konkan. Former BJP legislator Pramod Jathar has demanded that the Nanar project remain in Konkan.
“If Konkan loses Nanar because of the alliance, then we do not need such a tie-up,” said Jathar. Sena has been opposing the setting up of the Nanar oil refinery in Konkan. If the project is scrapped, Jathar said he will have to contest the elections. Jathar said, for the numerous unemployed youths in in Konkan this project would have come as a boon. However, with the BJP promising to scrap the project over the Sena’s demand, it was like back-stabbing the Konkan people. “I am not scared of people and I will face them through elections. But it can’t be at the cost of the project. We want Nanar, which will help generate employment and that is our demand. This is not rebellion,” said Jathar.
Just because the Sena and Rane are opposed to it cannot be reason enough to scrap the project, he said. “Give us valid reasons for rejecting a project which would have brought 1.5 lakh jobs to Konkan’s youth. There should be some rationale behind this opposition and public opinion must be taken into consideration before such a move. There is a project in Roha, so why not in Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri?” he asked.
BJP legislators, past and present, along with ministers are going to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demand a referendum on the project on the first day of the state’s budget session, which will begin on Monday. They also plan to meet Uddhav Thackeray, the Sena chief and discuss the subject, said Jathar.
