Twitterati thanks CM Uddhav Thackeray for halting work at Aarey car shed; others blame him for 'slowing down' infrastructural projects

As the newly-formed Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Maharashtra took over, new chief minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered the stopping of work on the Mumbai Metro car shed project at Aarey Colony, netizens took to Twitter to thank the government and Uddhav for the move. Just a day after taking over, Uddhav took the call to halt the Mumbai metro car shed project. Not only this, on Sunday, he announced that the state government has ordered the withdrawal of all cases filed against environmentalists during the agitations against the construction of Aarey metro car shed. Uddhav took to Twitter to announce his decision and wrote, “When the trees were cut in the middle of the night, Mumbaikars agitated against the decision. They were detained & charged. I have given orders to take back all the charges filed against them.”

I had given orders to stop the metro car shed work in Aarey. When the trees were cut in the middle of the night, Mumbaikars agitated against the decision. They were detained & charged. I have given orders to take back all the charges filed against them.
-@CMOMaharashtra #Aarey pic.twitter.com/OtNcemeDcN

— Office of Uddhav Thackeray (@OfficeofUT) December 1, 2019

To celebrate their victory activists who were at loggerheads with former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked and hailed Uddhav on Twitter. Amrita Bhattacharjee, an activist who has been associated with the Save Aarey campaign, tweeted:

@OfficeofUT We Citizens would like to Thank our Honourable CM for taking a quick step to quash the charges against the 29 Green Warriors. Maharashtra Goernment Respect Mother Nature .This step we hope will set an example for the other States to follow.#SaveAareyForest

— Amrita Bhattacharjee (@amrita_02) December 1, 2019

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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule also tweeted to thank the government “on stopping the further erosion of ground cover at Aarey”.

Thank you Govt of Maharashtra on stopping the further erosion of ground cover at Aarey. Whilst we are all supportive on developmental issues, the same cannot be done at the cost of the environment. (1/2)

— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) November 29, 2019

National joint secretary of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Ruben Mascarenhas also expressed his gratitude towards the new government:

Cases withdrawn today are a big relief to all of us, a personal thank you to @AUThackeray and @priyankac19 for facilitiating this.

Mumbai will never forget your good governance. Thank you again. #SaveAarey

— Ruben Mascarenhas (@rubenmasc) December 1, 2019

Citizens’ group of Aarey that held protests against the move to axe more than 2,000 trees also took to Twitter and expressed its gratitude.

We are very grateful to @OfficeofUT for ordering cases against our 29 Aarey Warriors to be withdrawn. The cases were unjustified and the CM has shown that he is on the side of citizens and sensitive to their concerns. 🙏🙏 @AUThackeray pic.twitter.com/RP8xjLybuI

— AareyConservationGrp #SaveAareyForest (@ConserveAarey) December 1, 2019

MLA of Vadgam constituency in Gujarat, Jignesh Mevani also welcomed the decision:

A very welcome decision from @OfficeofUT to drop the charges against activists and students. The next step should be to declare Aarey a forest and to stop all 'development projects' inside the Eco-Sensitive Zone of Aarey. https://t.co/hCBxSHftUd

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) December 1, 2019

Actor Swara Bhasker also thanked the government in a tweet:

Kudos to #UddhavThackarey
🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 #creditwheredue https://t.co/IDw89OX6Jb

— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) December 1, 2019

#Day887 #VictoryForAarey #SaveAareyForest Celebrations But our Battle is Not Over Now we Will Fight To #DeclareAareySGNPasPermanentBioreserve For All Generations We Said Just 1 Man Destroyed Aarey @Dev_Fadnavis Today 1 Man #SaveAarey & 23 Million Lives @OfficeofUT pic.twitter.com/lA1EHJvO1W

#Day887 #VictoryForAarey #SaveAareyForest

🥳 🎊 Celebrations

But our Battle is Not Over
Now we Will Fight To #DeclareAareySGNPasPermanentBioreserve For All Generations

We Said Just 1 Man Destroyed Aarey @Dev_Fadnavis
Today 1 Man #SaveAarey & 23 Million Lives @OfficeofUT pic.twitter.com/lA1EHJvO1W

— #DharamSankat #VanJeevi (@terence_fdes) December 1, 2019

Once again thank you @CMOMaharashtra @OfficeofUT for withdrawing the cases filed against #SaveAarey protestors !
Please also take action against DCP Swami for his brutality 🙏

— Preeti Sharma Menon (@PreetiSMenon) December 1, 2019

After illegal charges on 29 citizens, they had addressed a PC and expressed their anguish against gross violation of human rights. They weren't trained activist but Teachers, Stock Traders, Entrepreneurs, Students and common citizens. Thanks @OfficeofUT for lifting charges. pic.twitter.com/ZAKJEWb67t

— Rishav Ranjan (@rishav_ranjan18) December 1, 2019

Thank you @OfficeofUT
Looking forward to now restoring Aarey forest and bringing in the glory back#SaveAareyForest #RestoreAareyForest https://t.co/7qCoAtXOXS

— Shraddha Pawar🌱 (@ShraddhaKPawar) December 2, 2019

Lokanchi Shakti Rocks For Lungs Of Mumbaikars ♥️ thanks CM Uddhav Thackeray Saheb for reconsideration of Aarey Car Shed of Metro 3.#SaveAareyForest . pic.twitter.com/wCZLc4A5fa

— Jakir Shaikh (@jakirmumbai102) December 1, 2019

Good move by @CMOMaharashtra!! The new CM puts an immediate stop to Aarey deforestation started by previous govt. Well done sir!! #SaveAareyForesthttps://t.co/AtwrNKZIFa

— Brat (@priyabratm) December 1, 2019

Excellent job sir #UddhavThackeray 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 #SaveAareyForest

— imran khan🇮🇳 (@Itsmeeimran) December 2, 2019

While several activists and actors and known personalities celebrated their victory, there was another section on Twitter seemed displeased with the Maharashtra government’s decision of halting work on Metro car shed project and called it out for “slowing the infrastructure projects in Mumbai”.

Just the start to slowing down the infrastructure projects that #Mumbai so desperately needs. Ignored for nearly 2 decades but revived under @Dev_Fadnavis but back to square one.. only sufferer is #Mumbaikar #Aarey #bullettrain #coastalroad (thanks to #Supremecourt) n #activists

— brij bagri (@bmbagri) December 2, 2019

Mr Thackrey. Don't think about rich only who residence in #Aarey and commute by Luxury cars. Think about those who travel daily by locals and best buses and dies daily. The foreign countries and Churches don't like our safety and development. You don't be in their traps

— Mythbusters (@Mythbus68076562) December 2, 2019

This is going to cause delay in metro and delay in our sufferings....start the work immdtly 😡😡😡...hope u do good to us in ur tym as CM , coz u r not going to get it again for sure😡#aarey #SaveMetroSaveMumbai

— A. K. (@askme_298) December 1, 2019

This will delay the project and nothing will be achieved, Please learn lesson from Telanaga CM who was also took similar stand and later compelled to go with original plan by paying extra cost 1000 crore from state as escalation cost #AareyForest #Aarey #ShivSena #mondaythoughts

— राष्ट्रवादी नागरिक (@Sanjusaand) December 2, 2019