Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sparked a sharp political row on Thursday, 10 July 2025, after opposition parties — led by Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress — strongly condemned his remarks in the state Assembly the previous day, in which he labelled critics of the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project as 'rental ponies' (bhade ke tattu) and 'liars'. The controversy follows a landslide triggered by heavy rains that disrupted traffic on the expressway corridor earlier in the week, drawing intense public and political scrutiny of the infrastructure project.

What Fadnavis Said in the Assembly

Defending the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project during his Assembly reply on Wednesday, CM Fadnavis struck an unapologetic tone. 'Abuse Devendra Fadnavis as much as you want; I have become abuse-proof now. But do not malign your own state and sling mud on its best projects. These people must have been born after a crore of liars died, as they do not feel a shred of shame while lying,' he said.

Targeting what he described as funded online campaigns, Fadnavis added: 'People whom even a street dog wouldn't notice are coming onto social media to hurl abuses. We will not spare these rental ponies who write stuff for money.' He also recited an Urdu couplet to dismiss the opposition: 'Girte hain shahsawar hi maidan-e-jang mein, wo tifl kya gire jo ghutno ke bal chale…' (Only those who ride horses fall in the battlefield; how can a toddler fall who crawls on their knees…). Fadnavis further expressed confidence that the project would ultimately carry the names of himself and former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Opposition Fires Back

Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Bhaskar Jadhav reminded Fadnavis of his own combative record as Leader of the Opposition. 'You were the Leader of the Opposition once; how many allegations did you make back then? What about the allegations you leveled against Uddhav Thackeray during the Covid pandemic? Ashish Shelar would hold a press conference in the morning, Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar at 11 a.m., Chandrakant Patil at 2 p.m., and you would hold one yourself at 4 p.m. Were your reckless allegations acceptable back then? You alone do not define Maharashtra!' he said.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged that Fadnavis's accusations amounted to 'the thief turning around to blame the police.' He also pointed to what he called inconsistencies, noting: 'Just yesterday, the CM announced a cloudburst would happen in Nashik, but it didn't rain at all.' Sapkal added: 'If those asking questions are rental ponies, then those delivering sub-standard work should be called commission men (takkewari purush).'

Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad said that when questions arise within just two months about flaws in a project worth thousands of crores, citizens demanding accountability cannot be branded as anti-Maharashtra. 'It is the contractors' corruption and sub-standard work that brings disrepute to the state, not the people asking questions,' she said.

Andhare's Open Letter to Fadnavis

Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare escalated the attack by writing an open letter to the Chief Minister. 'By calling the opposition and citizens who ask questions dogs (kutte) and rental ponies (bhade ke tattu) inside the House, you have insulted Maharashtra itself,' she alleged.

Andhare highlighted that ₹7,120 crore of public money has been spent on the Missing Link project, asserting that citizens are well within their democratic rights to question any deficiencies. She also invoked Fadnavis's own words from 2022, when he famously told the then-ruling side as Leader of the Opposition: 'You do not define Maharashtra' — and asked whether the same standard applied to him today.

In her letter, Andhare listed a series of concerns including the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue, paper leak scams, women's safety issues, drug busts, and major industrial projects reportedly shifting out of the state. 'These are the actual instances that bring disrepute to Maharashtra. The government stays absolutely silent on these matters, but the moment questions are raised, you try to hide behind the name of Maharashtra,' she wrote. She concluded: 'Today you have insulted Maharashtra on the floor of the House; your own conscience will admit this when you stand alone in front of a mirror.'

The Missing Link Project at the Centre of the Row

The Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project has been described by the government as an engineering marvel. However, the landslide earlier this week — captured on video that went viral on social media — prompted fresh questions about construction quality and oversight. Critics argue that the project's cost and the speed of the incident raise legitimate accountability concerns. Notably, this is not the first time a major Maharashtra infrastructure project has attracted opposition scrutiny over quality and expenditure.

What Comes Next

The war of words is unlikely to subside soon, with the opposition signalling it will continue pressing on the ₹7,120 crore outlay and the landslide incident. The Assembly session is expected to see further exchanges, while public attention remains focused on the monsoon-season performance of the expressway corridor. Whether the government tables an independent review of the project's structural integrity will be closely watched.