Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, 8 July mounted a fierce defence of the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link expressway in the state Legislative Assembly, dismissing Opposition allegations of corruption following a landslide on the ₹7,000-crore project as outright fabrications. Speaking during a debate under Rule 293 on the development of Mumbai and its satellite cities, Fadnavis declared himself “abuse-proof” while drawing a sharp line between personal criticism and what he called defamation of Maharashtra.

What Triggered the Controversy

Heavy monsoon rainfall triggered a landslide on the recently inaugurated Missing Link corridor, halting traffic for approximately 18 hours. The Opposition immediately targeted the ruling Mahayuti alliance, alleging structural failure and misuse of public funds. The incident quickly spilled onto social media, with Fadnavis facing sustained trolling and corruption charges.

Fadnavis pushed back sharply in the House, accusing opposition leaders of deliberate falsehood. “The Pune-Mumbai Connecting Link issue was brought up because of the heavy rains. Such absolute liars have been born; they must have been born after a crore of liars died,” he said.

What Fadnavis Said About the Landslide

The Chief Minister offered a technical rebuttal, clarifying that falling mountain debris had struck an outer arch, which gave way under the impact, but that the primary structure remained intact. “The main structure has absolutely no cracks. The tunnel’s integrated safety systems functioned flawlessly. Once the emergency button was pressed, heavy cranes arrived within three minutes,” he told the Assembly.

He also noted that emergency crews cleared the debris and restored the route to traffic within 18 hours, and reminded legislators that the project includes the tallest cable-stayed bridge in India and the widest twin tunnels in the world, fully bypassing the older, accident-prone ghat section.

Attack on the Previous Government

Fadnavis alleged that the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had effectively shelved the project. “The Chief Minister of the previous government had written a two-page note listing 14 reasons why the Missing Link could not be built and closed the file. But the Mahayuti government had the courage, which is why we built it,” he said.

He invoked the history of the Konkan Railway to contextualise infrastructure risk, recalling that socialist leader Madhu Dandavate had persisted with that project despite repeated predictions of failure due to landslides. “For 15 years after it opened, landslides occurred every single year. But we learned, we engineered solutions, and we fixed it. What would have happened if we had never built the Konkan Railway out of fear?” he asked.

Monsoon Relief and BMC Savings

Fadnavis also briefed the House on the broader monsoon situation gripping Maharashtra. Vasai-Virar recorded 772 mm of rainfall within 72 hours, knocking out power grids and mobile networks. He said disaster management teams were coordinating with telecom and electricity providers to restore services, and that emergency funds had been deployed to the worst-hit districts of the Konkan region, including provisions for free food distribution.

On the fiscal front, Fadnavis announced that shifting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to the central GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal had led to the cancellation of inflated tenders worth ₹1,032 crore, saving the public exchequer significant sums.

Fadnavis’s Closing Warning

The Chief Minister closed with a pointed warning and an Urdu couplet. “Abuse Devendra Fadnavis, that is fine. I am used to it; I am abuse-proof. I have learned one thing in life — 10 years from now, those who are abusing today won’t be seen, but the Connecting Link will stand, and it will bear the names of Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde. Defame me all you want, but if you defame Maharashtra, I will not spare anyone,” he declared. He ended with a couplet: “Girte hain shahsawar hi maidan-e-jung mein… (Only the warriors who ride horses fall on the battlefield).”