Congress Accuses Modi Govt of ‘Wholesale Surrender’ Over Tata-Airbus C-295 Facility

Congress criticism Tata-Airbus deal

Congress Accuses Modi Govt of ‘Wholesale Surrender’: On Monday, Congress attacked PM Modi and Eknath Shinde government saying they have done a ‘surgical strike’ on Maharashtra’s interests by diverting Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft facility to Vadodara.

Congress communications incharge Jairam Ramesh asked six questions to the government to take the country into confidence.

Congress claims C-295 aircraft facility was to be set up in Nagpur but now it is inaugurated in Vadodara.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP and communications incharge Jairam Ramesh said people of Maharashtra will give a befitting reply to the PM and his colleagues for this betrayal.

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Ramesh’s attack came after the inauguration of Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL)-Airbus facility for C-295 military aircraft in India, where PM Modi and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez were present.

Tata-Airbus is India’s first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft.

“Today, the non-biological PM is in Vadodara to launch the Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft facility. This exact same project was supposed to be set up in Nagpur, but was shifted to Gujarat in 2022 on the eve of the assembly elections there,” Ramesh alleged in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He said that “one can only imagine the behind-the-scenes manoeuvres” that led to Maharashtra missing out on this significant investment.

“This is not an exception. Under the non-biological PM’s leadership and instruction, the Union Government and the Mahayuti government have conspired to ensure the wholesale surrender of Maharashtra’s interests in landing new projects or seeking Central support,” Jairam Ramesh added.

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Congress leader cited past examples saying an International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) is only in Gujarat’s GIFT City.

“Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2006 had begun the effort to set it up in Mumbai. Land in Bandra Kurla Complex had already been set aside for the IFSC. But that was sabotaged costing Mumbai potentially 2 lakh jobs,” he alleged.

“Mumbai and Surat have worked together to develop India’s diamond industry for decades, with Surat handling cutting and polishing, and Mumbai handling trading and export. However, a new Bharat Diamond Bourse was built in Surat. It is another matter that this move has failed entirely, with many diamond merchants moving their operations back to Mumbai,” said Ramesh.

He also said along with Tata-Airbus manufacturing plant, the “now failed” Vedanta-Foxconn semiconductor chip factory was also diverted from Maharashtra to Gujarat.

Textile Commissionerate Office which was in Mumbai for 80 years was shifted to Delhi last year for no reason at all, he said, despite MMR being a major textile hub.

Ramesh said that the Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi do not engage in favoritism.

“We believe in the equitable development of the entire country. New infrastructure projects, special investment zones, and modern industry should benefit all Indians, and not one state alone,” he added.

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