MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Friday criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government, asserting that the Chief Minister had proclaimed on Republic Day that Maharashtra "will not stop" and will become "more dynamic." However, the actual situation on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway presents a contrasting narrative, as an extraordinary 32-hour traffic ordeal has effectively "cut the string" of the government’s ambitious assertions.
The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece 'Saamana' claimed that the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, once considered a "rosy dream" for drivers, has transitioned into a "thorny truth". "What was meant to be a swift and comfortable journey is now defined by the constant fear of being stranded. As the government continues to drum up support for new mega-highways like the Samruddhi and Shaktipeeth, the current state of the expressway remains a tragic irony of a supposedly 'speedy' Maharashtra, " it said.
Referring to the traffic jam after a gas tanker overturned on the highway on Tuesday, the Thackeray camp highlighted a stark contrast between the administration's rhetoric and the functional reality of state infrastructure. It also challenged the state government’s claims regarding infrastructure and development.