MVA questions timing of Koshyari's Shivaji letter to Amit Shah

'The matter does not end here, he needs to be sacked…by writing such a letter he is trying to save his face', said Ambadas Danve

The Maha Vikas Aghadi on Monday questioned the purpose and timing of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's letter on the Shivaji issue to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, hours after its contents became public.

“Instead of apologising to the people of Maharashtra, he chose to clarify before Delhi Durbar,” Leader of Opposition in Council Ambadas Danve said. “The matter does not end here, he needs to be sacked…by writing such a letter he is trying to save his face,” said Danve, who belongs to the Shiv Sena group led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP too lashed out at the Governor. “A Governor holds a constitutional position and is appointed by the President of India. So why is Koshyari giving a clarification to Home on an issue he created by his unwanted statements on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Koshyari has hurt the sentiments of the people of Maharashtra and if he wishes to give a clarification, he must write a letter to the President and also the people of Maharashtra” NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.

He went on to add that Koshyari has all the right to seek advice and give clarification to anybody he wishes.

“By writing this letter on a Governor's letter head, he has demeaned his constitutional position and it also goes on to show that he is being made answerable to his political party, But he should have done so in his personal capacity and not on his official letter head. He must clarify in what capacity the letter was written? If personal, then it is misuse of a constitutional position and if as a Governor then he should have written to Rashtrapati Bhavan,” he said.

At a convocation ceremony of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University in Aurangabad last month, Koshyari had said: “Earlier, when you would be asked who is your icon -- Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi used to be the answers. In Maharashtra, you need not look elsewhere as there are so many icons here. While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is of olden days, there are Babasaheb Ambedkar and Nitin Gadkari who are heroes of present days.”

Defending himself amid attacks, Koshyari, in his letter addressed to Shah on December 6, said: “During the Covid-19 pandemic…when many ‘big-big people’ were not stepping out of their homes, at my age, I had gone on a pilgrimage on foot to places like Shivneri, Sinhgad, Raigad, and Pratapgad.”

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the pride of not only Maharashtra but also the whole country,” Koshyari said and recalled his trip to the birthplace of Shivaji’s mother Mata Jijau in Sindkhed, becoming the first Governor in over 30 years to go there, and that too by foot.