'He murdered democracy and Constitution': Sanjay Raut slams Padma Bhushan honour for Bhagat Singh Koshyari, accuses him of toppling Uddhav govt

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday condemned the Centre's decision to honour former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari with Padma Bhushan, alleging that the latter had murdered democracy and the Constitution in the state by toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government.

The Union government on Sunday announced the Padma Bhushan award for former Uttarakhand chief minister Koshyari, who served as Maharashtra governor from 2019 to 2023.

Talking to reporters, Raut said even the Mahayuti government, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, should condemn the decision to award Padma Bhushan to Koshyari, who had insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and reformers Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule.

"He (Koshyari) murdered democracy and the Constitution and toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government," he said.

The Rajya Sabha MP pointed out that even the Supreme Court had said that Koshyari acted illegally during his tenure as a governor.

He further claimed that Koshyari wanted to topple the majority government of Uddhav Thackeray and bring in a BJP dispensation in the state.

Koshyari's tenure as governor saw several controversies. Uddhav Thackeray, when he was the chief minister, had accused him of being overactive and pointed out that he had not filled 12 vacant seats in the state Legislative Council despite the state government’s recommendation.

The former governor also faced heat over his remark, terming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as "an icon of the olden times".

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, meanwhile, congratulated Koshyari over the honour.

"Warmest congratulations to Hon. Bhagat Singh Koshyari ji, former governor of Maharashtra, on being honoured with the Padma Bhushan Award for 2026. His illustrious journey in public life and his steadfast contributions to governance and nation-building stand as a source of inspiration for generations," Fadnavis wrote in a post on X.