The belligerent Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – flexed its muscles on Saturday by rooting for the removal of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his controversial statements about the state icons and hitting out at the Shinde-Fadnavis government for its ineffective handling of the Maharashtra-Karnataka border row.
On a day when the MVA and scores of political smaller political parties, trade unions and various organised a massive 5 km morcha from Byculla to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), NCP chief Sharad Pawar led the Opposition attack against the Governor, by asserting that Maharashtra would “erupt” if Koshyari was not either recalled or removed from his post.
Addressing a public rally after the MVA morcha culminated at the CSMT, Pawar said: “A Governor, who ridicules state icons like Mahatma Phule and Savithtribai Phule has no moral right to continue in his post. In Maharashtra, we have seen Governors of the stature of Shankar Dayal Sharma, Dr C Subramaniam and P C Alexander. But, we have not seen such a Governor in the history of the state...As of now, the people in the state are quiet. If the Governor is not removed from his post in the near future, Maharashtra will erupt over this issue”.
Mincing no words about his displeasure over the manner in which the ruling BJP leaders “defaming” Maharashtra through their criticism of state’s iconic figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mahatma Phule, Jyotiba Phule and late B R Ambedkar, Pawar said: “We expect competition among the ministers and party leaders over the development matters. But, what we witnessing among them is a competition in defaming the state”.
Debunking the quality of ministers in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government in the state, former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said: “There are such ministers who have such low intellectual capacity. There are ministers who insult women leaders like NCP MP Supriya Sule. These rascals have no moral right to invoke the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The rascals are in politics to loot Maharashtra”.
Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar of the NCP, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut and speaker after demanded the immediate recall of the Governor over statements about iconic leaders Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mahatma Phule and Savithtri Phule.
In his castigation of the Governor, Patole said: “Koshyari has no moral right to continue as the Governor. Similarly, there is a lot of anger among the people that the BJP leaders are continuously insulting our iconic leaders”
Apart from Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar his MP-daughter Supriya Sule, Uddhav, his wife Rashmi, sons Aditya, Tejas, Nana Patole and SanjAY Raut, a host of MVA leaders including, state NCP President Jayant Patil, Congress Legislative Party Leader Balasaeb Thorat, State Samajwadi Party President Abu Asim Azmi, former ministers Jitendra Awhad, Dilip Walse-Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam were present at the rally.
Thousands of activists from various opposition political parties, trade unions, workers, women, youth and social groups, teachers, autorickshaw unions, NGOs and others participated in the morcha.
Not taking chances, the Mumbai Police had made tight security arrangements for the rally. More than 3,000 police personnel had been deployed along the morcha route, while they monitored the morcha from the control room through drones and CCTV cameras. The morcha passed off peacefully.