‘Who are you to teach us?’: CM Devendra Fadnavis calls for change in Mumbai civic administration mindset

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday called for a change in the “complacent” mindset within the administration, referring to those who believe they have “run Mumbai for so many years” and question how someone “coming from outside” can run the city.

Fadnavis was speaking at the launch of the BMC’s ‘Participate Mumbai’ initiative, a digital partnership platform aimed at increasing the participation of citizens, businesses, NGOs and experts in the city’s development process.

It was the CM’s first visit to the BMC headquarters since the BJP came to power in the Mumbai civic body.

We have been following this process for many years. Who are you to teach us now after coming from outside? We have run Mumbai for so many years, so how will you run Mumbai after coming from outside?” Fadnavis said, describing this as a mindset that needed to be broken.

His remarks led to discussions within civic and political circles, with some interpreting them as a reference to former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis, however, did not name anyone.