‘Fear Jallianwala Bagh-like situation in Barsu-Solgaon,’ says Sanjay Raut ahead of refinery project survey

“The locals are opposing the refinery project in Barsu-Solgaon. Over 5,000-6,000 villagers have gathered at the refinery site and are saying that they will take bullets but won’t move from there. I am afraid that if these villagers do not move from the site, the government might shoot them. I am afraid that on the lines of the Jallianwala massacre, there will be a Barsu massacre,” Raut said.

Maharashtra’s Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar has also opposed the state’s use of police force to undertake a land survey for the oil refinery at Barsu-Solgaon.

While the administration is all set to start the survey for land acquisition in the villages, the police have implemented preventive measures, including arresting at least four anti-refinery activists and issuing preventive notices to 45 local residents who have opposed the project.

Raut alleged that the government, including industries minister Uday Samant, was misusing the police machinery to threaten and pressurise the activists and said the Shiv Sena (UBT) will be with the people.

“Industries minister Uday Samant is using the police to threaten the villagers. There are 5,000-6000 families who are there right now opposing the land acquisition. Many are being taken to the police station and threatened. Those people from Varsh who are staying in Mumbai area are also being threatened and arrested by the police. This is a government with a terrorist mentality,” Sanjay Raut lashed out.

“…we are keeping an eye on the situation and we will have to go there. We are with the people. The people have opposed it and are willing to face the bullets. At such times, Shiv Sena will not keep quiet. As Shashikant Warishe was killed, now they want to kill all the people together,” Raut said, referring to journalist Warishe who worked in a local Marathi newspaper and had been covering issues related to the setting up of the Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL) in Barsu before he was mowed down by an SUV.

He added, “Many outsiders have bought the land over there and if there is no refinery then the land prices will go down and hence the refinery is being imposed. This is the policy of the government.”

The Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL), promoted by the three major public sector oil companies namely Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd, was originally planned in Nanar village of Ratnagiri district. The Shiv Sena was against the project citing local opposition, after which the Barsu-Solgaon area was finalised as the location.

However, local environmental activists and villagers of Barsu and Solgaon have also been protesting against the refinery project in the Konkan region as they fear pollution and damage to the region which is largely dependent on agriculture and is famous for cultivation of the Alphonso mango.

Interestingly, the Barsu-Solgaon location for the refinery project was suggested by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray himself when he was the chief minister of the state.

Speaking on the developments, minister Samant said, “Even as a few people are against the proposed refinery project at Barsu, many are supporting the project. This project will generate employment in Konkan and it is in the interest of Maharashtra. That is why the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had written a letter to the central government for this project. It was not Chief Minister Eknath Shinde or Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis who wrote a letter to the Centre, but Uddhav Thackeray.”

 Samant added that opposing the project showed the “double standards” of the Sena (UBT).