Aarey forest: Junior Thackerays see eye to eye, express concerns over metro shed project

Activists and environment lovers were quick to voice their discontent over the Eknath Shinde-led government's decision to retrieve old plans of building a Mumbai Metro car shed in the Aarey Colony. Within hours of coming to power on June 30, the Shinde government decided to re-allocate areas in the Aarey Colony for the proposed car shed.

This was after the MVA government had moved the shed's construction to Kanjurmarg, a north Mumbai suburb. Chief Minister Shinde has asked the State Urban Development Department to place before the Cabinet a proposal for a car shed at Aarey.

Thackeray cousins Amit and Aaditya, sons of Raj and Uddhav took to social media to express their displeasure and worry over the Shinde government's move.

MNS' Amit Thackeray wrote, 'The new decision by the new government is shocking for me and innumerable environment activists and lovers. The youth of the state had earlier struggled hard against the move. Some were even put in jail.'

He urged the new government to reconsider its move stating that though development is necessary it should not be done at the cost of the environment.

Amit's cousin Aaditya, who was at the forefront of Aarey protests in 2019 and also a former Environment Minister of Maharashtra wrote on Twitter, 'I humbly urge new government to reconsider its decision. Don’t cast the hate for us, on to our beloved Mumbai.'

Also Watch| Maharashtra: Shinde govt overturns Uddhav Thackeray's Aarey move

The Shiv Sena scion further said that he will not be able to attend protests organised at Aarey on July 03 as he is due to attend the special Assembly session which saw BJP MLA Rahul Narvekar elected as the new Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

'Consider the proposal of having Metro-3 carshed at Kanjurmarg. I am requesting with folded hands, don’t insist on making the carshed at Aarey,' Aaditya added.

This comes after Aaditya's father Uddhav Thackeray said that he was upset with the Shinde government's move and he too asked them to not take out their anger for him on the people of Mumbai.

Activists, environmental lovers and concerned citizens of Mumbai took to the streets in Aarey to protest against the new government's move, urging it to reconsider its decision.

Aarey, nestled in suburban Mumbai, is a vast green cover that was deemed a protected forest by the MVA government. Environmental experts and activists have repeatedly said that if the Aarey tree cover is reduced in any capacity, it will have far-reaching effects on the city of Mumbai, including changes in weather patterns.