Maha Governor Koshyari Leaves Assembly Abruptly Amid Sloganeering by MVA MLAs

MVA MLAs were protesting against Koshyari for his recent controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

(File Photo: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari)

(Photo: PTI)

Amid sloganeering by the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly on the first day of the state's budget session on Thursday, 3 March, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari left the House abruptly, without completing his speech.

Soon after the governor came to the Central Hall of the House, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) members reportedly began shouting slogans and protested against Koshyari for his recent controversial remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

"While MVA legislators raised slogans hailing Shivaji Maharaj, the Opposition BJP made "low level" slogans. The governor could not tolerate this and left the Assembly without waiting for the national anthem," Maharashtra NCP president and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil said, as per news agency PTI.

Protests Demanding tGovernor's Removal

Recently, at a public event, Governor Koshyari had said, "Who will care about Chandragupta without Chanakya, and Shivaji without Samarth? The guru is very important in life."

Following the statement, there was an uproar in Maharashtra, including from the ruling coalition of the NCP, Shiv Sena, and Congress.

NCP leader and MP Supriya Sule tweeted a copy of the Bombay High Court order stating that Samarth Ramdas was not the guru of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

But Koshyari later clarified at an event in Jalgaon that he made the statement on the basis of what he had read in history books. According to him, he had read that Ramdas was in fact the guru of Shivaji, adding that he had spoken with historians and experts after the furore. Apart from this, if there are any facts, he will study it, Koshyari said.

BJP chief whip Ashish Shelar, meanwhile, blamed the MVA for the abrupt ending of governor's speech. He alleged that the MVA government is working to divert attention from the demand for the Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik's resignation after his arrest in connection with a money laundering case.

Meanwhile, the state Congress president Nana Patole criticised the governor for his remarks on the Maratha king and demanded an apology from him for the same.

Meanwhile, all the BJP MLAs have decided to hold a meeting on Thursday, 3 March, to discuss the party's strategy for the ongoing Assembly session.

The protest that happened in the Assembly against the governor will also be discussed in the meet, as per news agency ANI.

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)