Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said his detractors are trying to defame him and the state government as they cannot digest the "good work" done by the ruling dispensation.
His remarks came against the backdrop of the Opposition questioning the "silence" of the chief minister on state governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in which he had dubbed the warrior king as an "icon of olden times".
The Opposition has also accused Shinde of looking the other way amid a simmering border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka.
"There is a competition going on to defame me and the state government and allegations are raised. Those who indulge in such acts cannot digest the good work being done by the Shide-Fadnavis government and hence they are indulging in such acts," he alleged while launching a series of projects in Thane, his home turf, to be implemented by the city municipal corporation.
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Shinde, who heads the "Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena" faction, said he would reply to the allegations against him not through his words but through his work.
Without naming any particular project, the chief minister said industries do not go out (of the state) overnight.
"A lot of planning goes into it (bringing projects). Recently, a mega project had come to Maharashtra and many more are in the pipeline," he said.
The state government is facing criticism for the flight of key projects like Vedanta-Foxconn to Gujarat.
Shinde said he could become the chief minister only because of his performance in Thane and now he had a bigger role to play in the state and attend to various issues.
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He became the chief minister with the support of the BJP in June this year after his rebellion led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
The chief minister said he wanted Thane to become a world-class city and was keen on the optimum utilisation of taxpayers' money.
Shinde said Thane should become pothole-free. He also said family members of conservancy staff and health workers should be covered under free medical check-ups.
He said a Rs 605 crore fund had been made available for Thane and additional money could be sanctioned if needed.
"I am keen that Maharashtra grows and employment opportunities are generated in addition to industrial opportunities," the CM added.
-With PTI Input
