Raj Thackeray Targets Fadnavis Over Expressway Tunnel Leak, Alleges Corruption in Infrastructure Projects

Mumbai, July 2026 : Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the recent water leakage inside the newly inaugurated ‘Missing Link’ tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, accusing the MahaYuti government of trying to divert attention from serious infrastructure failures by branding criticism as political.

Addressing the anniversary programme of the MNS Railway Kamgar Sena in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray questioned the Chief Minister’s defence of the project in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and criticised his remarks cautioning the Opposition against “politicising” the issue.

The MNS leader argued that questioning the quality of a public infrastructure project was a legitimate democratic right and should not be portrayed as an attack on Maharashtra. Referring to Fadnavis’ Assembly speech, Raj Thackeray said governments must be accountable to the people and cannot dismiss every criticism as politically motivated.

He recalled that when the BJP was in the Opposition, it frequently organised protests and agitations against the then government over public issues. According to him, the ruling alliance now appears unwilling to accept similar scrutiny after coming to power.

Raj Thackeray also took exception to the Chief Minister’s emotional appeal in the Assembly, where Fadnavis had said that while he could tolerate personal criticism, he would not tolerate any insult to Maharashtra. The MNS chief questioned how raising concerns over water seepage in a newly inaugurated tunnel could amount to insulting the state.

He alleged that criticism of the government is increasingly being labelled as anti-state or anti-national, creating an atmosphere where genuine public concerns are brushed aside instead of being addressed. Citizens, he said, have every right to question the quality of projects funded with taxpayers’ money.

The MNS chief further criticised the tone adopted by the Chief Minister during his Assembly address, particularly his warning that action would be taken against those attempting to politicise the issue. Raj Thackeray remarked that such statements were unbecoming of the holder of the state’s highest executive office and questioned what exactly the Chief Minister meant by saying he would “deal with” his critics.

Raj Thackeray also raised the issue of language, noting that Fadnavis switched from Marathi to Hindi during part of his speech in the Assembly. He questioned why the Chief Minister chose to address the House in Hindi when all the legislators present were Marathi-speaking and the Assembly represented the people of Maharashtra.

According to Raj Thackeray, the shift in language appeared intended to send a political message to the BJP’s central leadership rather than those present in the House. He also hinted at alleged internal differences within the BJP, claiming that political developments within the ruling party would become evident in the coming days.

Turning his attention to the state’s infrastructure projects, the MNS chief accused the government of pursuing construction at the cost of quality and proper planning. He alleged that indiscriminate construction activities had altered the character of Mumbai, Thane and several other parts of Maharashtra, while the government continued to describe these projects as development.

He argued that development should not be measured merely by the number of roads, bridges and tunnels constructed, but by the durability, safety and long-term benefits of such projects. Raj Thackeray questioned what lessons government officials actually learned from their foreign visits if newly built infrastructure failed within weeks of inauguration.

Referring specifically to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link project, Raj Thackeray pointed out that the tunnel was inaugurated on Maharashtra Day, May 1, but reports of water leakage surfaced barely two months later. He said it was surprising that a project showcased as an engineering milestone had developed visible problems within just 60 to 65 days of opening.

He recalled that during the inauguration, Chief Minister Fadnavis had highlighted the use of advanced technology and materials sourced from different countries. However, Raj Thackeray alleged that once execution was handed over to contractors, the quality of construction suffered due to poor implementation.

The MNS chief concluded by making serious allegations regarding corruption in government contracts. Citing claims allegedly made by contractors, he said that nearly 56 per cent of the contract value was spent on paying bribes to various individuals linked to the state administration. If contractors were left with only 44 per cent of the allocated funds for actual construction, he argued, poor-quality infrastructure was inevitable.

Raj Thackeray said such allegations deserved an independent investigation and called for greater transparency and accountability in the awarding and execution of major public infrastructure projects across Maharashtra.