Scrap post of Governor: Uddhav Thackeray after SC verdict

With the Supreme Court passing strictures against then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray wondered whether the gubernatorial post is necessary in India.

Once again, he called on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to resign and face elections in wake of the Supreme Court's observation that the Koshyari calling for a floor test was wrong. The SC, however, did not reinstate Uddhav as CM as he had resigned prior to the floor test.

“This means that this (Shinde-Fadnavis) government is illegal,” Uddhav said and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell them to tender their resignations and face elections. “We have gone to the Supreme Court…now let’s go to the people’s court,” he said.

Thackeray’s statement comes a day after the duo of Shinde-Fadnavis said that truth had prevailed and that their dispensation was legal from day one. They cited the apex court's comments that the Governor was right in inviting Shinde to form the next government.

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Thackeray said that the institution of the Governor must be scrapped or there should be a proper system in place to appoint people to this crucial Constitutional post.

“The role of the Maharashtra Governor was disgusting, as was clearly exposed in the Supreme Court judgement….even another verdict yesterday has gone against the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi," said Thackeray.

“Activists of political parties or organisations like the RSS are being named as Governors and these are instances that lower the dignity of this important post,” he said.

This is the second time in as many days that Thackeray lashed out at the gubernatorial system. “If we look at the manner in which Governors are acting, there should be discussion whether we need to continue the system,” he said.

It may be mentioned that Thackeray and his erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government had regular tiffs with Koshyari on multiple issues, like the early morning swearing in of Fadnavis and NCP’s Ajit Pawar, the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, reopening of temples after the lockdown, use of government plane and insult to national icons.