Opposition-led protesters, numbering in the thousands, marched towards billionaire Gautam Adani’s Mumbai offices on December 16 to express their dissent against the ₹23,000 crore Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
Dharavi is one of Asia’s largest slum clusters and the Adani Properties secured the 259-hectare redevelopment project in November last year through competitive bidding.
Wielding flags and banners bearing slogans like “Remove Adani, Save Dharavi”, the demonstrators marched from the slum to Adani’s office in Mumbai.
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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who led the march, stated that he is not against development, challenging the ruling BJP to highlight any pro-builder decisions made during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government under his leadership.
Further, he refuted BJP’s claims that the tender was issued during his chief ministership and demanded evidence. “The allegation is false. Show me one such GR (government resolution),” he said.
He stated that his government’s downfall was orchestrated due to his lack of pro-builder stance, insinuating financial motivations behind it.
“Now one can understand who financed the toppling of my government. With the Shiv Sena around, the BJP could not help its friends; so my party was broken and its symbol was stolen,” Mr. Thackeray said.
Dharavi fought the COVID-19 pandemic and will not surrender before any builder, he said, and alleged that the redevelopment project involves Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) irregularities worth over ₹100 crore.
The protest, attended by Mumbai Congress chief and Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad, took place from Kalangar to Bandra Kurla Complex, where the Adani group has an office.
Stating that there is a need for fair treatment during redevelopment, the Sena (UBT) advocated for 500-square-feet homes for Dharavi residents, including police personnel, conservancy workers, and mill workers, and also a financial centre in the area.
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He also suggested that the redevelopment should be carried out by the government.
Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, on Friday, said the tender as well as TDR details of the project were finalised by the Thackeray government, which was in power between November 2019 and June 2022.
The official spokesperson of the project, too, claimed that the tender conditions were finalised during the tenure of the MVA government. “Conditions, including the obligations and incentives, which were known to all the bidders, have not been changed for the awardee post the tendering process. Hence, it is wrong to claim that any special benefits have been given to the awardee,” they said in a statement on Saturday.
Further, they said that the Dharavi project assumes added significance as many earlier attempts have failed to deliver. It is against this backdrop that the Adani Group has taken up the challenge and the responsibility of transforming Dharavi with all the above facilities.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that a transformational project like Dharavi needs support of all stakeholders, including from political parties cutting across ideologies and differences. This is a historic opportunity to build a new, state-of-the-art Dharavi which reflects the hopes and aspirations of Dharavikars,” the spokesperson said, adding that the Government of Maharashtra has entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the Indian Railways and then it will be sub-leased on 30 years + 30 years basis like any other land in Mumbai to housing society.
“There is no change in this policy for Dharavi Redevelopment Project,” the statement added.
