Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, NCP demand immediate recall of Governor Koshyari
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Mumbai: Close on the heels of Congressman Rahul Gandhi’s comments against Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar, which threatened to cause cracks within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance (NCP, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction and Congress), the MVA on Sunday rallied together to hit back at Maharashtra Governor B.S. Koshyari and BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi for their ‘insulting’ comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
The top leadership of the three parties pounced on the BJP and demanded Governor Koshyari’s immediate removal from his post for “repeatedly making remarks” against the 17th century Maratha warrior king, while state-wide protests by the respective cadres of the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (SHSUBT).
During his speech at the Dr. Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad in the presence of Union Minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Saturday, Governor Koshyari had said that while Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an “icon for an earlier era”, Nitin Gadkari was an icon for the modern generation.
“Earlier, when one would be asked who is your icon — Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi used to be the answer. Whereas in Maharashtra, you need not look elsewhere (as) there are so many icons here… while Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is for an earlier era, Nitin Gadkari is an icon for modern times,” the Governor had said.
Meanwhile, during a television debate, Sudhanshu Trivedi, while attempting to explain Savarkar’s mercy petitions to British authorities, said that Shivaji had written “apology letters” to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb no less than five times.
Arguing that Governor Koshyari had hurt Maharashtra’s self-respect yet again, Uddhav camp MP Sanjay Raut questioned the ruling Eknath Shinde- Devendra Fadnavis government’s failure to condemn the Governor.
Raut further remarked, “The Governor has insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji no less than four times this year…BJP’s national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi had claimed Shivaji sought ‘forgiveness’ from Aurangzeb several times. Is this the BJP’s official stance, which is to keep insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, (reformers) Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule?”
Reserving his harshest criticism for CM Eknath Shinde, he said that the CM and his rebel Sena faction of 39 MLAs ought to have voluntarily resigned from the government rather than staying in alliance with BJP and tolerate this insult to Maharashtra’s pride.
Raut added, “The BJP has no right to speak on either Savarkar or Shivaji Maharaj. The CM should condemn the Governor and the government must send a proposal for the immediate recall of Governor Koshyari.”
Maharashtra Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said the Governor must consider quitting his post if he failed to understand the intense feeling of respect that Maharashtra had for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
In a statement issued here today, Ajit Pawar remarked, “It is time for Governor Koshyari to reconsider continuing as the Governor. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an ideal role model on how to use power for people’s welfare and not for petty self-interest. These ideals have inspired Maharashtra and will continue to do so for times to come.”
Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole demanded an apology from the BJP and Sudhanshu Trivedi over his insulting comment on the warrior king while seeking Governor Koshyari’s removal.
Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh said that the BJP had revealed “its true colours” in Sudhanshu Trivedi’s comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji. In an oblique reference to Rahul Gandhi’s anti-Savarkar remarks, he remarked further “The day when the BJP and RSS stop telling lies about our (Congress) leaders, that day we will stop telling the truth about their leaders.”
Uddhav camp leader and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve was taken in police custody while protesting against the Governor in Aurangabad. An angry Danve remarked, “How can Koshyari even say that Shivaji’s ideas are outmoded. Nitin Gadkari may be a tall leader, but how can there be a comparison between Gadkari and Chhatrapati Shivaji. The time has come for the Governor’s anti-Shivaji disposition to be rooted out once and for all.”
The pro-Maratha Sam bhaji Brigade lashed out at Governor Koshyari and Sudhanshu Trivedi, remarking that their statements reflected a fundamental opposition against the Chhatrapati’s ideals of a ‘Swarajya’ wherein all religions and castes were treated equally and lived in harmony with each other.
Congress workers burnt effigies of the Governor near Pune’s Lal Mahal while protests erupted in Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik and Marathwada by NCP and SHSUBT.
This is not the first time that Governor Koshyari – who has frequently been accused by the MVA as a partisan of the BJP – has courted controversy from his remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Earlier this year, the Governor was slammed by the MVA for allegedly mocking 19th century social reformers Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule for “getting married at a young age”. He also stoked controversy when he said Samarth Ramdas was Chhatrapati Shivaji’s ‘guru’ contrary to historical evidence.
Earlier this week, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, during his ‘Bharat Jodo’ yatra had said that Savarkar said that he had written mercy petitions from Andaman’s Cellular Jail and later a book on himself using a different name to show how brave he was.
The remarks caused a schism within the MVA, with Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena faction publicly disagreed with Rahul Gandhi as the remarks gave fresh ammunition for the ruling BJP and its ally, the Eknath Shinde-led Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) to bombard Uddhav Thackeray’s faction and accusing the latter for having forsaken its ‘Hindutva’.
However, Governor Koshyari and Sudhanshu Trivedi’s remarks ‘against’ Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj saw the SHSUBT strike back and questioned the BJP’s silence in condemning the Governor and its spokesman for having allegedly insulted Maharashtra’s most revered icon.
Meanwhile, BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed that the Governor’s remarks were deliberately being taken out of context while BJP leader Pravin Darekar claimed it was “a ploy” on the MVA’s part to divert attention from the good work being done by the Shinde-Fadnavis government.
