Mumbai:
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday rejected Shiv Sena's appeal asking state government to curb the influx of migrants, and said the city welcomed everyone provided they do not "encroach on the land illegally".
"We welcome one and all to the city of Mumbai provided they come legally and do not encroach on the land or build illegal structures," the Chief Minister said while addressing a gathering at a function to inaugurate new train services at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) here.
Chavan's statement comes against the backdrop of Shiv Sena leader and Mumbai Mayor Shraddha Jadhav's remarks that "the state government must take care to curb the influx of
migrants."
Similarly, the Chief Minister said, the Mumbaikars were also free to roam anywhere in the country. "There is no restriction on Mumbaikars to go in different parts of the country, they can go anywhere from Delhi to UP or to Bihar," he said.
On the occasion, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Duronto Express and Dadar-Varanasi Superfast Express were flagged off and services of the Nagpur-Gaya Dikshabhumi Express was extended to the Sri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur on one side and to Dhanbad on the other. The frequency of the Mumbai-Amravati Express and Pune-Patna Express was also increased.
Asked about the controversy surrounding the missing bulletproof jacket worn by slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare, the chief minister said, "the Home Ministry will answer about it."
On the water crisis in the metropolis, Chavan said, "all political parties must work together to resolve water crisis."
There is an acute need for water conservation in the time of such crisis, he added.