A day after the ruling Shiv Sena and the Opposition parties created ruckus in both the Houses of the State legislature clamouring vociferously for his dismissal from his Constitutional post over his controversial statement espousing the cause of separate statehood for Marathwada region, Maharashtra’s Advocate General Shrihari Aney on Tuesday resigned from his post in what he called “the interest of the people”.
Saving Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis embarrassment of having to deal with an agressive ruling Sena and a belligerent Opposition Congress and NCP in both Houses for the second consecutive day, 65-year-old Aney met Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao in the morning and tendered his resignation from his post as the State AG.
As soon as the Assembly met in the morning, the Chief Minister said that the State Government did not agree with the stand taken by Aney on Marathwada statehood issue and that the latter had already submitted his resignation to the Governor.
Fadnavis, in an identical statement made in both the Houses of the State legislature, said that Aney had submitted his resignation to the Governor who had appointed the latter at the constitutional post of the State AG. “According to protocol, the AG has submitted his resignation to the Governor. Governor will ask for an opinion from the Government about accepting or otherwise of Aney’s resignation. As and when the Governor does so, we will take the decision in the State Cabinet and convey to the Governor that his resignation be accepted,” the Chief Minister said.
Notwithstanding the Chief Minister’s statement that Aney had indeed resigned from his post, the Opposition members were in no mood to let the outgoing State AG off the hook for his controversial statement made at Jalna on Sunday that Marathwada deserved statehood on the ground that the backward region had suffered more injustice than Vidarbha and that pressure should be brought to bear on the Centre to form a separate State.
leader of the Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said: “Aney may have resigned, but his resignation had not been accepted yet. Aney has spoken about carving out Marathwada and Vidarbha from Maharashtra. While holding the constitutional post as the State, he should not have such a stand. Hence, Aney should apologise to the House”.
NCP’s group leader Jayant Patil said: “On his part, the Chief Minister has said that the State Government does not agree with Aney’s espousal that Marathwada be carved out of Maharashtra and made a separate State. However, the State Government has so far remained silent on Aney’s earlier statement demanding separate statehood for Vidarbha region”.
The Chief Minister urged the Opposition not to make a political issue of the State AG’s resignation.
Aney’s resignation came after the noisy protests in both the Houses of the State legislature on Monday. The ruling Sena, which had taken the lead in demanding the dismissal of Aney’s post, had warned the State Government that it would not participate in the legislative proceedings till such time Aney was not sacked from his post, while the Opposition Congress and NCP had rooted for the removal the AG from his post on the ground that he had exceeded his brief.