Mumbai: A day after Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said the state government would not tolerate the “forceful shifting” of Bollywood elsewhere, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on an overnight visit to Mumbai for the listing of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation municipal bonds on the Bombay Stock Exchange, said he had not come to Mumbai to snatch away any investments.

“No one can take away what belongs to another. This is not a purse that you can put your hand into, take things and walk away. We are not doing anything to steal other (state’s) investments,” said Yogi Adityanath.

Addressing a press conference at a hotel in Mumbai on Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath said he was keen to create social security in Uttar Pradesh and hence was meeting leaders from various sectors to create a roadmap for the state’s development. “We have created world-class facilities. Those who wish to avail of these facilities will come. We are not in Mumbai to snatch anything. Why is everyone so worried?” he asked. The UP CM said the Noida film city will be located six km away from the upcoming international airport at Jewar and added this will be well connected with Delhi, Agra and Mathura.

Yogi Adityanath said he had met a delegation from the film industry which included Boney Kapoor, Manmohan Shetty, Subhash Ghai, Anand Pandit and others. On Tuesday, he had met actor Akshay Kumar, besides several industry leaders and a delegation of defence manufacturers.

To draw investors, the UP government has hammered out several sectoral policies and development picked up pace over three years, including the pandemic months, and the government has the intent to encourage investments, Yogi said.

The Shiv Sena, however, continued its aggressive stand on what it termed as an attempt to move Bollywood out. Sena leader Sanjay Raut questioned whether Yogi Adityanath would meet film producers from other states as well or if he had a problem only with Mumbai (Bollywood). Raut also asked Yogi Adityanath about the current status of the film city set up in Noida (UP) and claimed that shifting Bollywood to other states was not an easy task.

Raut pointed out that there were film cities in various states, including West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra and Karnataka. “Will Yogi ji also visit all these states and meet film producers and actors? Or does he have a problem only with Mumbai?” he asked. Raut added, “Will he (Yogi) be able to move bungalows of film stars to Uttar Pradesh?”

Raut said, “How many movies have been produced at the Noida film city, what is the status of film shootings? He should come to Mumbai and inform people here. Moving the film city from Mumbai is not a joke. It has a vast history, and many have worked hard to establish it.”