Digital India can’t give food, jobs: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday slammed the Centre’s Digital India plan, saying it cannot ensure jobs and food for the people. Addressing a meeting attended by local city cable operators in Mumbai, Thackeray also said that cable operators were worried about plans by Reliance Jio to start fibre-to-home broadband services. The decision has created unrest and insecurity among the cable operators, who fear they would suffer loss in business, he added.

“If Digital India has helped in getting free cable, why not provide free diesel and milk? Even vegetables should be given free (by the government).”

“Our party will support the bhoomi putra (son of the soil). Digital India cannot help in giving jobs and food to the people,” he added.
Reliance Jio, on July 5, had announced a plan to provide ultra-high speed fibre-based broadband services in 1,100 cities across the country.

“It is said the service will be free for a few months. Providing everything for free is an inducement,” Uddhav said.
While acknowledging that with changing times, technology also changes, he added: “Earlier, there would be just one TV in the entire area. Today, you have TV in every house. The concept of set-top box also came during BJP government. Now, they are pushing Digital India.”
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