Thackeray said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, and their colleagues held a meeting at the same venue—Shivtirth Ground—where the MNS rally had taken place.During that meeting, Fadnavis commented on Thackeray’s remarks about the industrialist and mentioned other industrialists, noting that they too had grown.Responding to this, Thackeray told reporters, “I am not, and never will be, against industry. Industries create employment, and employment enables people to build homes, secure their children’s futures, and raise families. So, to suggest that I am against industry is foolish.”Thackeray said his remarks at the rally were meant to highlight the nature of industrial growth in the country. He said citizens should understand the exponential rise of a single individual over the past decade. “A single individual holding such power can paralyse the nation. We recently saw this risk with IndiGo. When 65% of air traffic is controlled by one entity and operations come to a halt, the entire country suffers. This is a serious risk that the chief minister needs to acknowledge—though he likely understands it, even if he cannot say so publicly,” he said.Thackeray also said it was necessary to examine the sources of financial support for this industrialist. “Which banks and institutions were directed by those in power to fund him? If such a massive industrial and financial structure were to collapse tomorrow, jobs would be lost, the economy would be damaged, and the country could grind to a halt,” Thackeray said.“My intention was simply to highlight that when such ‘tools’ are used to take over cities in Maharashtra, it poses a grave danger to our state. That was the essence of my commentary,” he added.
