Team News Riveting
Mumbai, November 21
The political uproar created following Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari comments on Maratha icon Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is pushing BJP in a defensive mode in Maharashtra.
While the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance is heading for a rift on the issue, the comment of Koshyari has put the BJP in an awkward position. For, Shivaji Maharaj has been an ideal even for the BJP and the organisations backing it.
In a major development, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad took the command and demanded the ouster of Maharashtra Governor from the state. Gaikwad, who represents the Buldhana Assembly constituency, represent Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena faction of the party led by Shinde, who heads the government in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra.
Koshyari on Saturday said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an icon of “olden days” and referred to Babasaheb Ambedkar and Union minister Nitin Gadkari while talking about “icons” in the state. The comment drew criticism from the NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction.
The Governor made the remarks at an event held in Aurangabad.
Gaikwad said Koshyari had made statements about the founder of the Maratha Empire and stoked controversy in the past as well.
“The governor should understand that the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj never age and he cannot be compared to any other great person in the world. My request to BJP leaders at the Centre is that a person who does not know the history of the state and how it functions, be sent somewhere else,” the MLA said.
