Maha CM's 1st Visit to Delhi Smooth; Discussed GST, PMC Bank Issues with PM Modi: Aaditya Thackeray

Mumbai: Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said that his father and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray discussed issues like GST compensation and PMC bank with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting held in New Delhi on Friday.

Aaditya described Uddhav Thackeray's first visit to the national capital after becoming chief minister in November last year, as "smooth" and "cordial".

After falling out with the BJP in November last year, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena formed the "Maha Vikas Aghadi" government with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Aaditya, who also holds the Protocol department, said the meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi was a "political one", which was also attended by senior leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge. The Thackerays also visited veteran BJP leader LK Advani and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"I went on tourism in Delhi. Environment was good and the visit was part of protocol," Aaditya told reporters while referring to the portfolios he is currently in charge of in the state government. Aaditya was speaking at a programme organised by Marathi news channel ABP Majha.

"Each meeting, which was a courtesy call, had a different agenda. With PM Modi, discussions were about GST compensation, PMC bank, and other issues. With Sonia Gandhi, it was a political meeting. The Chief Minister had spoken to Soniaji over phone earlier. But this was their first meeting. Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge (AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra) were also present," he said.

Aaditya said that meeting BJP patriarch LK Advani was long overdue due to the close association between him and the Thackeray family and Amit Shah. "All meetings were cordial," he added.

In his letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Uddhav in December last year stated that the Maharashtra government is awaiting "legitimate dues" of Rs 15,558.05 crore comprising GST compensation upto November 2019 from the Centre.

The Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank has been in the news for allegedly extending loans to Housing Development & Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) fraudulently, which resulted into the RBI putting restrictions on withdrawal of amounts by the investors of the bank.