Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
Amid growing discontent among Maharashtrians over Governor Bhagat Singh KoshyariтАЩs remark on legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, enough heat has been generated so much so that Mr. Koshyari himself is not reportedly willing to continue. He has shared this with a few close aides and acquaintances.
тАЬYes, considering his age and health issues, he wants to be relieved from the post and has been sharing the same with his close aides and some officers for the past few months. This has nothing to do with the ongoing controversy over his remarks on Shivaji Maharaj or bandh call given by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray,тАЭ a source at Raj Bhavan said.
The tenure of Mr. Koshyari (80) has been quite controversial as soon after he was appointed in September 2019, he started stoking executive decisions during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government that led to a saga of rough relationship between the Chief MinisterтАЩs Office and Raj Bhavan.
His role during the recent change of guards at Mantrayala has also come under scanner after repeated attacks by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress.
However, the Raj Bhavan has officially denied the reports of the Governor considering resigning and termed them тАЬbaselessтАЭ.
Earlier this month, Mr. Koshyari made a remark by calling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj an тАШicon of olden timesтАЩ, and said there were icons such as Mr. Ambedkar and Mr. Nitin Gadkari in modern times.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar recently claimed that on several occasions Mr. Koshyari has personally expressed his desire to be relieved from the post. тАЬHe (Mr. Koshyari) told me he wanted to be relieved,тАЭ Mr. Pawar claimed, adding that the Governor was deliberately making controversial statements so that the Central government would shift him out of the State.
тАЬWhenever I visited him at Raj Bhavan, he always told me that he wanted to leave Maharashtra. When a government official is posted in some position against his or her will, they create some controversy which forces the government to issue transfer orders. I canтАЩt say if he (Mr. Koshyari) is trying to do the same thing here,тАЭ the Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly said.
Responding to the reports, Shiv Sena MP and Uddhav loyalist Sanjay Raut said, тАЭThe honourable Governor has offered to resignтАжgreat! Looks like Shiv SenaтАЩs indications to call for a Maharashtra bandh is yielding results. Yet the battle with the enemies of Maharashtra will continue.тАЭ
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar and Mr. Thackeray had lashed out at the Governor for his remarks and demanded his transfer or resignation.
