Did Shiv Sena’s opposition to Maharashtra’s Nanar project help Pakistan secure the Gwadar oil refinery deal?

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Bharatiya Janata FestivalMumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar wondered on Saturday whether Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, was helping Pakistan by opposing the Nanar refinery project, which was “slated” in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (undivided), the then BJP alliance partner, had opposed the upcoming greenfield project with a section of villagers organizing protests in the coastal Ratnagiri district.

Shelar’s criticism comes a day after a report claimed four Pakistani state oil companies signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia to build Pakistan’s largest oil refinery with a $10 billion investment in the port of Gwadar.

The BJP MLA wondered if Shiv Sena’s (UBT) opposition to the project has caused losses to Konkan, Maharashtra and india

In a tweet, Shelar referred to a news report about Saudi giant Aramco investing $10 billion to build Pakistan’s largest oil refinery in Gwadar for a Greenfield refinery.

“Were the international forces working to ensure that India did not get the project part of the Nanar protests? Did the protesters join anti-national forces?” Shelar tweeted.

He also asked if Shiv Sena (UBT) was helping Pakistan by opposing the Nanar project.

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Citing the news report, Shelar claimed that Pakistan is trying to pocket the greenfield refinery project that was slated to spring up at Nanar in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district.

According to the Dawn newspaper, the MoU to establish the facility with a production capacity of 300,000 barrels per day was signed on Thursday with Pakistan-owned Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL), Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) and Government Holdings Private Ltd (GHPL).

The four state companies would join the project through an equity stake, he said.

Last September, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Center had not taken any decision to set up an oil refinery project in a specific area in Maharashtra.

Puri was apparently referring to the Ratnagiri petrochemical and refinery project, proposed to be built in Nanar village in Ratnagiri district on the Konkan coast. (Agencies)