Devendra Fadnavis also claimed that media gives the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief "ten times more publicity" than he deserves. (File photo)
Making light of MNS chief Raj Thackeray's threat to burn the new autorickshaws whose permits have gone to 'outsiders', Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government was duty-bound to protect all such auto drivers.
"Anyone meeting the stipulated conditions will get permits and it is the government's duty to protect those who get these permits," Mr Fadnavis said at a meet-the-press at the state legislature complex.
"Our government doesn't work for a company but for the common man," Mr Fadnavis said, in an apparent reply to Mr Raj Thackeray's allegation that Bajaj Auto was set to make a huge profit from the sale of auto-rickshaws to new permit-holders.
"There is no compulsion to buy auto from a particular company," Mr Fadnavis said.
"People search for their place in politics. At such a time, these statements are made," Mr Fadnavis said.
He also claimed that media gives the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief "ten times more publicity" than he deserves.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)