Maha CM Uddhav rubbishes rumours of Army taking charge of Mumbai, mourns Aurangabad mishap

Addressing the residents of Maharashtra on Friday, CM Uddhav Thackeray rubbished the rumours of the Army taking charge of Mumbai and closing down all shops. He maintained that there was no need to take the assistance of the Army as each resident of the state was a soldier in the fight against COVID-19. At the same time, he hinted at the possibility of the state government seeking additional forces from the Centre to ensure that the overworked police personnel can take rest in rotation. Currently, there are 19,063 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Maharashtra out of which 3,470 patients have recovered while 731 casualties have been reported. 

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Uddhav Thackeray remarked, "During the last 2-3 days, there is a rumour doing the rounds in Mumbai that Army will take control of the city, there will be a lockdown and all shops shall be closed. Why do you need the Army? Till now, I have done everything taking you into confidence. I will continue doing so. I had told you initially- that you all are the jawans in this battle. The Army will not come to Mumbai."

He added, "The police personnel are getting tired under pressure. Some of them have fallen ill or have passed away. I have a thought in my mind regarding this. We may ask the Centre to provide additional forces if the police personnel need to be rested in rotation."

Read: Aurangabad Train Mishap: NHRC Notifies Maharashtra Govt After 16 Migrants Were Mowed Down

'I am pained at the mishap' 

On this occasion, Thackeray expressed anguish at the death of the migrant workers who were run over by a train in Aurangabad. Mentioning the arrangements for the migrant workers, he requested them to not get distressed. The Maharashtra CM also assured them that trains to ferry them back to their native places had commenced. Additionally, he also lauded the all-party meeting held on May 7, terming it as a good example of unity. 

"I am distressed as I speak to you today. I am pained at the mishap which took place between the Sambhaji Nagar-Jalna Railway route. I want to tell the migrant workers that you should not get anxious. The state government is with you. We have made arrangements for 5.5-6 lakh migrant workers in the state. We are in discussion with other states regarding the commencement of trains. But there should not be any crowding," Thackeray observed. 

Commenting on the all-party meeting, he said, "Yesterday, a very good thing happened. Yesterday, there was an all-party meeting where everyone was briefed about the government's COVID-19 plan. Most of the leaders gave very good suggestions and we are implementing them. Yesterday's meeting showcased a different kind of unity as leaders of different political parties came for the meeting keeping aside political rivalry."

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