‘Abuse me, not Maharashtra’: Fadnavis hits back over ‘Missing Link’ landslide row

3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 04:36 PM IST

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also said the project would outlast political criticism. (File photo)

Responding to criticism over the recent landslide at the Pune-Mumbai Missing Link project, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused the Opposition of spreading misinformation and said those trying to discredit the project were effectively defaming Maharashtra.

Addressing the Assembly during a discussion on issues concerning the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Fadnavis defended the project, saying the damage was limited and that traffic was restored within 18 hours.

“This connecting link is not just a road; it is an engineering marvel. We have constructed the tallest bridge in India and one of the largest tunnels in the world. As a result, the entire ghat section has been bypassed, and accidents have been eliminated. Here, the arch was damaged due to debris from a landslide caused by rain, but there were no structural cracks. Yet, the opposition started projecting it as if seven thousand crores had gone down the drain. However, the road was reopened for traffic within 18 hours, right in their faces,” Fadnavis said, taunting the Opposition.

He also warned those, particularly on social media, whom he accused of maligning the project.

“I also want to tell those who are paid to spread abuse on social media: defame me if you must, that is fine, but if you defame Maharashtra, I will not spare anyone,” he warned.

Fadnavis reiterated that the damage was caused by heavy rainfall and accused the Opposition of deliberately misrepresenting the incident. He also credited the ruling Mahayuti alliance for executing the project, while taking a swipe at the previous government.

“Such a bunch of liars have been born; they must have been born after a thousand liars died. It is because the Mahayuti alliance had the courage that this connecting link was built. The Konkan Railway was started in the same way; if it hadn’t been started, it would have remained the same. The Chief Minister of the previous government had written two pages citing 14 reasons why the missing link could not be built,” Fadnavis claimed, without naming then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

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He ended by saying the project would outlast political criticism.

“You can abuse Devendra Fadnavis; that is fine, I am used to it; I am ‘abuse-proof.’ I have learned only one thing in life: ten years from now, those who are hurling abuses will not be seen, but that connecting link will remain, and it will bear the names of Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde,” Fadnavis said.